The Game Changer
by FallenNiji
Summary: After an unfortunate accident at school, Sawada Tsunayoshi was placed into a medically induced coma at the tender age of ten. Three weeks later, he woke up a completely different person with no recollection of his life. Meanwhile, Frisk and Chara were way out of their comfort zone after a Reset gone wrong. Minor crossover. Gamer AU. Undertale AU.
1. The Miracle Child

**Summary**: After an unfortunate accident at school, Sawada Tsunayoshi was placed into a medically induced coma at the tender age of ten. Three weeks later, he woke up a completely different person with no recollection of his life. The doctors pity him, his mother doesn't know what to do, and the rest of the town could care less.

Meanwhile, Frisk and Chara were way out of their comfort zone after a Reset gone wrong. To make matters worse, they woke up in the wrong body, in the wrong universe, and with weird flames flickering at their fingertips.

***Well**, Chara's voice was just shy of malicious, **at least you know how to _dodge_.**

. . .

**Warnings for the following**: major character death (though I haven't really tagged it as such...), medical inaccuracies of epic proportions, possible Undertale inaccuracies as I have never played the game and gained my knowledge from posts, fics, comics and the Undertale wiki, nonbinary main character, Gamer AU, non-consensual body snatching.

If I have made an mistakes, feel free to correct me. I'll fix it up as soon as possible as long as it's an _unintentional_ mistake.

As a fair note, this chapter starts approximately 2 years before the actual story line, so Tsuna is ten going on eleven

I have also elected not to put this in the crossover category because the only characters from Undertale that will appear in _The Game Changer_ are Frisk and Chara. And I don't really see it as a crossover. This fic mainly started due to my love of the Undertale Game Mechanics which are unique and easy to experiment with. I've wanted to do a Gamer AU for a while now but I've never had the courage since I'm not aware of how most games work with their ATK, DEF, and etcetera. Undertale's Game Mechanics, however, are simple to use and easy to experiment with. Hence why I've chosen to stick Frisk and Chara in Tsuna's body, and if you want to think of this as a crossover then, let's say, think of the two time-travelling children as Tsuna's 'alters'.

. . .

"Tsu-kun…" The woman's eyes were wide and earnest, filled with hope and similar warm emotions. A lesser being would've folded like wet paper.

But Frisk had never been anything less than what they were, so they simply clenched their jaw and held their head high. An inkling of uncertainty almost made them falter, but they were nothing if not determined. They've faced Asriel at his best, they've faced _Sans_ at his worst. A simple human woman was _not_ going to scare them into submission.

She. Was. _**Not**_.

"I've told you before, my name is Frisk… I'm not Tsuna."

The woman's – Nana's – eyes started to glisten. Frisk tried not to feel guilty, but it wasn't easy to resist those eyes. Especially when one considered the situation both of them found themselves in.

***She's pretty dense, isn't she?** Frisk's eyebrow twitched at the voice of a certain demonic cockroach. For a moment they thought they that if they pretended hard enough, the ghostly child would fade from existence. A part of them was relieved they weren't in this alone but another despaired at being stuck with _Chara_ of all people.

Out of the corner of their eyes they could see the being leaning over their shoulder, a curiosity usually seen in psychopaths and children shining through their perpetual smile. Frisk shivered.

"B-But…" Nana trailed off, looking more like a lost child than a mother. "You _are_. You are my Tsu-kun. I can recognise my own son when he's staring me right in the face!" Her voice had risen as she finished, chest heaving with frustration.

***Obviously, she can't.** They ignored Chara's snicker.

Frisk themself was feeling pretty frustrated at this point. They've been doing this for the past fifteen minutes ever since their doctor had left to consult with a colleague, with Frisk insisting they're not who these humans think they are and Nana insisting they were her _son_.

Ha! As if they would ever defer to something as pointless as _gender_.

"Well, maybe you need your eyes checked!" Frisk snapped, Chara's voice grating on their nerves, not to mention Nana's expression just plain out pissing them off. They'd tried to be patient, but clearly that approach wasn't working. "My name is Frisk, and I'm not a _boy_. I'm not a girl either. I'm just _me_, so please refer to me as such."

Nana looked so horribly confused it would've been pitiful, but right now it was just infuriating.

After everything that's happened… Frisk wasn't in the mood for pity, or compassion, or offers of friendship. They were tired, exasperated, and more confused than that first time a Reset malfunctioned and they ended up in a warped Underground that was more edgy than a teenager in the peak of puberty.

To make matters worse, they barely remembered _how_ they ended up in this body. They remembered the Lab, chatting with Alphys, Flowey popping in to throw his scheduled temper tantum, and then… _**Void**_.

Their _little shit _of a soulless brother pushed them into the Void. And Frisk didn't know whether it was on accident or… _not_. They didn't know which one would be worse.

Either way, they were less than pleased with their current situation. And that was before they woke up in the body of a supposedly comatose 10 year old.

Seeing as they've only experienced the female body to these extents, they were definitely thrown off and more than a little uncomfortable. Dear Stars, after years of hating their body you'd think they would appreciate a new one. But _no, of course_ not, because having something between their legs was a hundred times more uncomfortable than having a… well.

They had woken up in a hospital bed and, after having the appropriate panic attack once realising they were _Aboveground_, looked at the board at the bottom of the bed to see what was going on.

According to the information they gleamed from the papers (which honestly wasn't much, they had never been all that good at written Japanese), they accidentally stole the body of one Sawada Tsunayoshi. His mother was Sawada Nana while his father was a suspiciously missing Sawada Iemitsu. He'd landed in the hospital after being pushed down a flight of stairs at school.

And, according to the doctor, he had no hope of ever waking up. Too much brain damage, too little brain activity. He was declared brain dead after two hours but put on life support at his desperate mother's request. No one expected him to ever wake up.

But he did.

Except he didn't.

Because Frisk (and by consequence, Chara) did.

Tsuna didn't.

They were declared a 'modern day miracle'.

Frisk sighed at the memory of the hospital staff flocking to their room, wanting to catch sight of the apparent 'miracle child'.

In case you were wondering, they weren't. A miracle child, that is. They simply had good time management, horrible luck, and an ungodly amount of DETERMINATION.

The door slammed open.

***Son of a—**

"Language," the immediately disapproved.

Good manners had been beaten into them at a young age; proper language being one of them. Of course, they rarely used them but they weren't going to allow Chara (who was physically their junior) to swear. Let alone in _public_. Nevermind that nobody could see them. _They_ could. They would know. They already had enough weighing on their conscience to deal with Chara and their foul mouth.

"What?" The doctor from before had returned, this time with another one of his kind.

"Don't mind me, sensei. I was speaking to Chara." They deadpanned.

They had nothing to lose. He had already seen them scolding the demonic ghost on how to be a proper sibling and _for stars' sake do not call you brother that ridiculous word_. There was literally nothing worse they could do in his eyes, sans declaring to take over the world with the power of magic, video games and homicidal children.

Their eyes were drawn to the second person, who slowly slid into the room like a predator assessing his surroundings.

The new doctor sharply contrasted the first one. While the first had light hair and dark eyes, his hair was much darker and his eyes were silver, hidden behind glasses. When Frisk squinted and tilted their head at the right angle, he reminded them more of a model than a doctor. The only thing that ruined his pretty boy image was his unkept hair, his preppy outfit and the weariness in his eyes. He looked like he needed a week of uninterrupted sleep and a timeline's supply of caffeine.

***Wow. Just wow. I think that if I tried hard enough, I could fit myself into those eye bags**. Chara sounded almost impressed with his sleep deprivation.

"Chara?" The new doctor piqued in. His stare, which was unfortunately directed at them, was unnerving Frisk. It reminded them of how a cat stared at a particularly interesting mouse, or how Sans stared at them after their first LOAD.

They hesitated, "Chara… is someone who's always been with me. I doubt you'd want to meet them. They're a bit…" how should one go about describing Chara while omitting all the genocide and all round terrible personality? "Rude."

***Screw you! I'm not rude, **_**you're**_** rude!** Chara's smile turned into a barring of teeth.

"Hmm," doctor numero dos sounded unconvinced.

"Um," Nana tilted her head, a brittle smile attached to her lips. "And who might you be?"

"I'm the head of Namimori Hospital's Psychology Department, Kobayashi Kiyotaka. Call me 'Kobayashi-sensei'," he eyed Nana for a second before dismissing her as unimportant. His cold, cold, cold eyes stare directly into Frisk's befuddled ones. "The attending doctor called me in to do an assessment on your son, but from what he's told me, it's obvious what's wrong with him."

"They," Frisk muttered. They had a feeling that pissing this Kobayashi off would come back to bite them in the butt later…

"Pardon?"

"Please use they/them pronouns when referring to me. And my name's Frisk, not Tsunayoshi, not Sawada, but _Frisk_." They hoped that at least one person in this room had enough brains to respect their wishes.

An eyebrow rose but other than that, Kobayashi gave nothing away that would indicate his surprise. "I see…"

"You know what's wrong with Tsu-kun?" Nana's eyes once again filled with tears. Frisk needed to know where the water kept coming from – they thought she had run out half an hour ago!

"Obviously," Kobayashi drawled.

His tone didn't so much as make her falter. "Please tell me!"

He sighed, "I was just about to do so."

***I don't know why, but he pisses me off**. Chara squinted at him. **Can I—**

"No," Frisk immediately shot that idea down.

"No?" There was an edge to Kobayashi's voice. Frisk tried not to shudder.

"S-Sorry, I was talking to Chara…" They avoided looking him in the eye.

"Hm," he hummed.

Idly, Frisk wondered how high his LV was. The whole atmosphere of the room _changed_ as soon as he entered, which normally indicated that the person had a thirst for blood, death and mayhem. Or… that they've killed before.

"Kobayashi-sama…" Their attending doctor shifted nervously.

***'Sama'? Is that a normal term of address in this godforsaken country?** The demonic ghost questioned, but Frisk didn't reply.

It _wasn't_ an honorific used when referring to a doctor, not even a department head. That was suspicious to say the least…

Their eyes narrowed for a split second before returning to their usual half-lidded state. Then again, it's been a while since they've spoken Japanese, let alone visited the country. For all they knew, Kobayashi could've owned the hospital or something as ridiculous as that.

Either way, it was none of their business.

"I was getting to that," a thread of annoyance entered his voice.

Doctor numero uno edged away from him, seconds away from booking it. Frisk wanted to join.

Kobayashi turned back to the body snatcher and began, "Frisk, how old are you?"

That was an odd question to pose, especially to 'Sawada Tsunayoshi'.

They could see Nana opening her mouth to answer out of the corner of their eyes, but interrupted her before she could start. "I'm 12, though I often feel older." Especially when one took into account the numerous Resets and LOADs…

"Nationality?"

"I was born in America, but one of my parents was Japanese."

"Parents? Siblings?"

"My mom's Toriel, I don't really have a dad. I do have a dunkle though, Sans, and he has a brother, Papyrus. I have a brother, Asriel, and… a sibling, Chara."

***Take that back! As if I would ever want to be related to you, idiot!** They ignored the fuming ghost with practiced ease.

"Is Chara here right now?"

"Yes, they're always with me."

"And how old are they?"

"Ten or eleven. I'm not sure."

"Why not? They're your sibling, aren't they?"

A shrug, "I guess. But they're a bit of a jerk so I don't really pay attention to them most of the time. Besides, they've been the same age for a very long time…"

"And why is that?"

"… I don't want to talk about it."

"Hm," Kobayashi leaned back a little. He's taken a step closer every time a question left his mouth, now standing right next to the bed.

Frisk shifted away, uncomfortable with his aura. They've gotten pretty good at CHECK over the past few timelines (stars knew they had to, with every timeline being weirder and more unpredictable than the last) and since their instincts were screaming at them to put as much space between them as possible…

The last time they ignored their instincts, edgy Papyrus killed them during their 'date'.

"I was correct," Kobayashi nodded his head. "You," he poked their forehead with a finger, "have Multiple Personality Disorder."

"Eh?"

"What?"

***Holy shit!** Chara guffawed, doubled over holding their stomach. **I mean, it's not like he's wrong! I am sorta like a split personality, ain't I, **_**partner**_**? **Their grin turned malicious for a split second before falling into a glare. **If we get thrown into a loony bin, I'm killing you myself. **

That was fair.

"Multiple Personality Disorder?" Nana tilted her head. "What's that?"

How Kobayashi managed to look simultaneously annoyed and bored, Frisk would never know. They feared for the woman's life.

Stars, they sure hoped their CHECK was malfunctioning.

The other doctor jumped in before anything could happen. "I-It's a mental illness characterised by having two or more personalities, or 'alters'. They often have their own names, ages, genders, personalities, and even warped memories. Tsunayoshi-kun's alters are Frisk and Chara. It often happens after a traumatic experience. I'm just frankly amazed Tsunayoshi-kun woke up after such a hit to the head," the doctor shook his head in disbelief and awe.

"No," Kobayashi spoke up, never once taking his eyes off Frisk during the whole explanation. "Tsunayoshi didn't wake up."

"But sensei, he's sitting right there!" Whatever Nana wanted to say next, she didn't, because Kobayashi shot her a brief stare (not even a glare, he was just that intimidating). Even she was smart enough not to get on the psychologist's bad side.

"No, he isn't," he said simply. "That's Frisk, Tsunayoshi's alter."

While they were offended at being called a mere alter, they didn't voice it out loud. In the long run, maybe it would be better if they pretended to be a split personality instead of a time-and-space travelling human child. They wouldn't even know how to breach the whole 'body stealing' subject, let alone know if the doctors would believe them. At worst, they would definitely be thrown into a mental institution.

"Then where's my Tsu-kun?" Nana demanded tearfully.

"I wonder," he tilted his head, glasses flashing ominously in the light, "where is he, Frisk?"

Suddenly, all attention was on them.

Frisk tensed.

That… was actually a good question. They frowned. While they weren't the best at medicine and injuries, they knew enough to realise that the fall Tsuna took would've killed a normal person. Or, in this case, caused enough damage to declare him brain dead with no hope of ever recovering.

After having been possessed by Chara during the later parts of a Genocide Run, they had enough experience to determine if there was a second party in their psyche.

But when Frisk closed their eyes and tried to look for even a flicker of a SOUL, there was nothing except their own shining DETERMINATION and… a thick, cracked wall with orange light filtering through.

Eyebrows furrowing in bemusement, they tried to focus on the semi-ruined wall to see if Tsunayoshi was around. The only thing they felt was drowsiness coming from behind it, and not the type that belonged to a human.

They mentally shrugged, noting to investigate the wall much later in their residency.

Either way… there was no Sawada Tsunayoshi anywhere they looked. A glance at Chara told them the same thing; the boy wasn't in their psyche either.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, 10 years old, and already dead.

What a sad life indeed.

They look back at Kobayashi, whose minute slump of shoulders was almost unnoticeable.

"How unfortunate," he muttered.

"What's unfortunate?" Nana peered up at him.

"Your son is dead. Maybe the brain damage killed him and his alters took over in his stead. I don't know," he sighed.

The mother's face crumpled as a loud sob escaped her throat.

Frisk cringed. That sob… reminded them of Toriel in the worst of ways.

Chara must've felt the same because they scowled at the woman and pointedly turned away from her, covering their ears. Childish, but effective. It's a shame Frisk couldn't follow by doing the same. It would be morally wrong.

The first doctor panicked, hurriedly trying to reassure the woman.

"B-But there's a little bit of Tsunayoshi-kun left in, uh, Frisk too!" His voice pitched higher as the eyes of everyone turned to look at him, "I-I mean an absentee dad, a mom h-they obviously love… It reminds you of yourself, doesn't it? Frisk could've, uh, modelled Toriel after you! I don't know where Sans and Papyrus come in, b-but they could be modelled after some adults in their life! And maybe Asriel is modelled after a friend…? Chara is another alter, isn't she?" He turned his hopeful eyes onto the bemused and slightly offended child.

"They," Frisk muttered absentmindedly.

They were _not_ an alter! They had their own name and memories and family for stars' sake! But they couldn't deny that _pretending_ to be one was the best course of action right now.

"See?" The doctor turned back towards the hopeful woman. "This… Frisk is still your Tsu-kun, just… imagine them with amnesia! Frisk is still your child, and so is Chara, you just need to make new memories! They'll see you as their mother in no time!"

Frisk bit their cheek to hold back a less than pleasant retort. As if they would ever see a _human_ as a parent ever again. Their last human parent was less than pleasant and was the sole reason they even climbed up that godforsaken mountain in the first place. The only person they would ever view in a parental light was Toriel. _She_ was a good mother despite all her faults (i.e. attempting to kill them).

Kobayashi didn't look convinced. He rather looked like he doubted the man's sanity, or rather his resolve. After all, what sort of doctor crumbled at the first sign of tears? Or maybe he doubted that Frisk would ever see Nana as a mother? Who knows, he was a psychologist. They're notoriously tricky.

"Oi," Frisk had no idea whatsoever that a single word could sound so _threatening_—

The rambling doctor froze at the steely intonation and wisely shut his mouth.

Satisfied, Kobayashi continued, "Frisk, do you have any inclination to harm others?"

With a straight face they replied, "No."

It wasn't a lie, per say.

Violence wasn't in Frisk's nature. They were a pacifist down to their SOUL. Unless you counted those times where the stress of multiple deaths, Resets and their inability to fully escape the Underground caused them to snap and go on a killing spree, after which they gave control over to Chara.

***Liar, liar pants on fire~** Chara sang with a sick grin imprinted on their face.

"And Chara?" The steeliness in his eyes implored them to tell the truth. Frisk wondered if he could tell they were lying. They… didn't want to find out, in all honesty.

And so, they told the truth, "Chara is… a violent person," their voice was low and collected, "But the only way they can hurt someone is if they po-take control of our body. And as long as I'm around, that isn't going to be possible. You see," a small smile appeared on their face, "my will is stronger than theirs, and my SOUL as great. They have no power over me."

They were a sucker for fantasy. Particularly the ones that involved travelling to another 'world' and making friends there.

Kobayashi raised an eyebrow at the botched quote but did not mention it.

Chara, however, did. ***Oh screw you, **_**partner**_**! We both know that's a **_**lie**_**! The countless genocides **_**you**_** committed prove it.** They snarled.

Frisk ignored the temperamental child with practiced ease. You would think that after decades of experiencing the afterlife, they would call them down. Unfortunately, you would be wrong.

"So you're the 'gatekeeper'…" he tilted his head, "Humph, as long as you don't show any behaviour that could deem you dangerous, you'll be discharged within the week after some follow up tests," with that, he strolled out of the room as if he were never there. The door slid shut behind him silently.

Nana, the idiotic doctor and Frisk (with the unwanted ghost of Chara) stared at the closed door dumbly.

Frisk looked at the doctor, then Tsuna's mother, then Chara, and sighed.

. . .

Later that night found Frisk laying on their hospital bed with a pensive frown. Nana had long since left after the doctors had preformed some tests to find any lasting damage. They found nothing, thankfully.

The woman had promised to drop by tomorrow with some of Tsuna's old clothes and comics to 'make them more comfortable'. Her obvious attempts made Frisk sad. Tsuna was never going to return so they hoped the woman would give up on him soon. It would hurt everyone involved if she didn't.

A sigh escaped slipped from between their lips. Their forearms rested across their face, hiding their eyes from view. Their blankets were thrown askew as they found it to be too hot for them despite their thin hospital gown and the open window filtering the early autumn air in.

If they focussed hard enough, they could pretend they were back in Snowdin with Sans' snores coming from the living room and Papyrus making a mess in the kitchen. An involuntary smile slid onto their face at the memories of one of their numerous sleepovers, before it fell.

Frisk realised… deep down… that there were going to be no more sleepovers with the Skelebros. No more butterscotch-cinnamon pies cooked by their mom. No more cooking lessons with Undyne. No more anime marathons with Alphys. No more quizzes with Mettaton. No more tea parties with Asgore. No more fights with _Flowey_ Asriel. No more Grillby's, Muffet's, Napstablook, the River person, Monster Kid, Monsters, alternate universes with edgy and genuinely murderous characters…

There would be no more Underground adventures for Frisk to complete.

They were stuck in a new universe with only Chara for company.

In spite of their greatest efforts, a strangled sob tore from their throat. They covered their mouth, wide tear-filled eyes staring at the ceiling.

They were all gone and Frisk was _alone_—

Another sob caught in their throat.

***… Frisk?** Chara's uncertain voice made the tears flow harder.

Now, they wouldn't even be able to SAVE Chara and return them to their own body, however decomposed and skeletal it might be. Heh, the Skelebros would've loved having another Skeleton around, even if Sans had a _history_ with them. He would've loved the kid after a few weeks of listening to them bitch and moan about chocolate and Asriel.

A small hand smoothed their new buzzcut like Toriel would do when they had a nightmare. Wide red eyes peeked at them from behind their bangs, uncomfortable and dearly wishing to be elsewhere. But Chara steeled themselves and squared their shoulders.

***It's going to be—**

"It isn't," they shot down Chara's attempt at reassurance.

***Yeah, it isn't…** Chara acquiesced, **But you still have me. It's not much and I know you'd rather have anyone else, hell, even **_**Flowey**_** in all his soulless glory would be a better choice. But we're partners, we're as thick as thieves, and we're going to get through this just like we got through the first AU. **_**Together**_.

They rested their forehead against Frisk's, eyes softening in a rare moment of kindness.

"… Yeah," they croaked, "I'm not alone. Besides… who knows what this world holds for us. Maybe… Maybe there's a chance for us to return home…"

Chara smiled, but there was something akin to pity shining in their eyes.

. . .

Not much was known about the Void. The people who knew about it were even fewer than the information acquired about it.

The Void was an expanse of pure nothingness, as its name might imply. Unbeknownst to most, it had its own set of rules and laws and inhabitants. If a person fell in, they could not exit by any normal means. Usually, the abnormal means could not do much against the Void either.

However… the power that was linked to those with a tremendous amount of will and DETERMINATION… Reset… was one of the few powers that could affect the Void, for better or for worse.

Resets also had their own rules. Many were unknows and many more would never be discovered unless the right circumstances were met.

When a being capable of Resetting activates the power, they return to the beginning of their 'story', so to speak. Whether it was to change the outcome of the 'story' or just plain out destroy it, it was up to them.

But when Frisk (and Chara) fell into the Void, they soundly exited their 'story' and could never return. Their Reset was no longer linked to that particular universe.

It was then that the rules of the Void and the rules of Resets collided… and the Reset latched onto the wrong universe.

But since there wasn't a Frisk or a Chara in that particular universe, the Reset shoved them into the body of a person with a strong will. It was just a coincidence that the body belonged to the comatose and decidedly brain-dead Sawada Tsunayoshi, soon to be heir of the Vongola Famiglia.

What a peculiar coincidence indeed…

. . .

Anyone catch that botched "Labyrinth" quote? Eh?

**Timeline**:  
**1991**: October 14 - birth of Sawada Tsunayoshi  
**2002**: September 3 - Tsuna's had a great fall  
September 24 - Chara and Frisk wake up  
**2004**: first few events of KHR

I'm mainly using YazzyDream's timeline at the KHR wiki, with some altering.


	2. At the Sawada Residence

**Brief chapter summary**: Frisk and Chara are released from the hospital. Nana takes them 'home', where they slowly settle in and make a shocking discovery.

**Warnings**: I'm playing fast and easy with medicine and such, also expect some mild angst and feels, implied/referenced murder (attempted murder…?), a mild misunderstanding of the Iemitsu-type, puns, possible Undertale inaccuracies.

Hope you enjoy! If you catch any grammatical mistakes or otherwise, please tell me.

. . .

Within five days Frisk and Chara were released into the loving care of Sawada Nana.

Quite frankly, they were more than relieved. They were _delighted_.

Don't get them wrong, they held no love for Nana or for her house, they just really, _really_ hated the hospital. And its staff. _Definitely_ its staff.

The doctors and nurses were mostly assholes (the exceptions being Kobayashi who they hadn't seen since their 'diagnosis', the doctor that was with him, and their nurse who was quite a pleasant lady), whispering about how 'Dame-Tsuna' returned from the dead like a _freak_. Their earlier awe was practically non-existent except for a few mummers here and there.

Dame-Tsuna.

No-good Tsuna.

Useless Tsuna.

Because the humans here were even bigger assholes than the ones in their original universe, and they all picked on a scrawny 10 year old for his clumsiness and grades. It's a miracle Tsuna (Tsunayoshi was too long and Sans infected them with his laziness, Papyrus would be _ashamed_) didn't throw _himself_ down the stairs after all the bullying from both his peers and the adults _who he was supposed to depend on_.

***Hey, since you're so angry**, Chara had started to say as soon as they discovered Tsuna's status as a social pariah, **why don't we kill the kids who pushed him as a warning? I mean, I always told you genocides are a good thing, but did you listen? No, of course not; 'everyone has a little good in them,' you said, 'you should give them a chance,' you said. And look where **_**that**_** mentality got us. Stuck in the body of a murdered bullied kid.**

They had muttered a very empathetic, "Chara, _no_," in response to their idea.

Chara had pouted and held their hands up in surrender. ***Fine, fine. No killing, got it. But you can't deny that those brats would deserve it. Let's just wish bad luck unto them or something equally pathetic**, they bare their teeth in a mockery of a grin, **Since killing is so bad and all that.**

"You're one to talk," Chara had shrugged and denied nothing.

Besides the staff, the tests were also hell on Frisk's nerves. It took everything they had in them to not throw themselves out the widow as soon as their doctor (he was a wimp, but at least he was better than most of his colleagues) pulled out a needle.

What followed afterwards was hell.

Brain scans, MRIs, blood cultures, cognition tests, and some minor physical therapy later, Frisk was free to leave the hospital. Of course, they had to show up in the beginning of November for follow up tests and their first counselling session. Because they 'needed time to readjust before dealing with therapy', their nurse had kindly informed them.

Nonetheless, Frisk was free from the hellhole masquerading as a place of healing and left to their own devices. They still had to brave Nana and her attempts to get them to remember Tsuna's life, but that would be easily dealt with.

"Ts-ah, sorry, Frisk-kun…" Nana smiled at them warmly. Well, at least she was trying. And she was a sweet lady, which was a nice bonus. The two of them were standing in front of a modest house with Chara lazily floating above the child's shoulder. "This is our home… Do you…?"

"Remember anything?" They gave a half-smile, "Sorry, but no, this place doesn't ring a bell."

Despite the minute slump of her shoulders, the woman surged forward to grab Frisk's hand and gently dragged them through the gate and into the house. Surprised, they let her.

The house was tidy, pleasantly warm and a little too big for a family of two. Pictures lined the walls of the house, mainly of Tsuna and Nana, though some were of Nana and a few other people Frisk had no hope of recognising.

They paused in the middle of the hall, their eyes drawn to a picture of Nana, Tsuna and an unfamiliar man. It must've been taken ages ago… Nana hadn't changed much, though she had longer hair when the picture was taken, and she looked happier than she did now. The man was about the same age with blond hair cropped short, and a big silly grin nearly splitting his face in two. Cuddled between them was a child, maybe around five or so, with the fluffiest hair they'd ever seen and large brown eyes.

With a start they realised that the boy was… them. It was Tsuna. A much younger, _alive_ Tsuna.

Their throat was tight, their eyes blurring from tears.

That family looked so happy… It reminded them of some of the pictures Alphys took during their first Pacifist Run, long before Frisk's own decisions caused Sans to lose trust in them—

They wondered where the man – obviously Tsuna's father – was and how he would react to a stranger in his son's skin. If he would smile at them like that and hold them so. He obviously loved Tsuna, but would he love Frisk too?

Doubtful. They stole his son's body without so much as a thought (nevermind that they were more or less dead at the time), stole the future of this boy right from his small hands. He didn't even get a chance to protest or argue his case because he was _brain dead_.

_If I hadn't Reset at that moment, then this body wouldn't have healed_, they mused darkly, _and Nana would have withered away at his bedside with useless hopes._

Or perhaps it would have turned out all right, if given enough time. Time which Frisk didn't have and didn't give.

They felt a pang of guilt as they stared at the photo of a happy family. They looked away, right into Nana's eyes.

"Frisk-kun…?" Their throat constricted and they looked at Chara instead. The child watched them with keen eyes, guessing why were acting like they were. They bit back a bitter smile.

Out of everyone in their universe, Chara probably knew them the best. No matter how hard Sans tried to understand them, he never would. He had a relatively calm life before Frisk showed up to ruin it, so of course he wouldn't know what it was like to grow in a broken home. Chara did. Maybe more than Frisk even, being from a rougher and crueller time.

"Who's that man?" They tried to draw attention away from their current state.

Nana's face lit up like a Christmas tree. A beatific smile replaced her worried look as she informed them of the man's identity, "That's your papa, Frisk-kun! Sawada Iemitsu."

"Hm," they hummed thoughtfully but before they could ask another question, Nana continued.

"He's gone away and become a star!" She smiled happily, eyes glazed as she thought of her wonderful husband.

Frisk froze… 'Become a star'? Wasn't that…?

A glance at Chara confirmed it. Their fists clenched. Maybe it was a good thing they took over Tsuna's body. A dead son in addition to a dead husband? They didn't think Nana would've survive it.

They schooled their features, wiping away any hints of sadness or sympathy from their face, and turned back to the oblivious woman. Their half-lidded eyes stared into her unfocussed ones.

_How odd…_

Swallowing their pride, they asked, "Can you show Chara and I to our room… mama?"

It was the first time they called her anything other than her name.

_White lies are harmless_, they told themself. And, perhaps, that was a little white lie as well.

Her eyes lit up with unbridled joy as she swept Frisk into a hug, "Of course! Mama would be happy to! It's right this way, Frisk-kun… Chara-kun too."

They caught Chara's eyes when the mother let go. There was an undecipherable emotion in their eyes. Frisk, guessing they disapproved at the title they bestowed upon the woman, shrugged and followed her up the stairs.

A tuna fish board hung from the door Nana gestured to. They snickered a little; 'Tsuna' and 'tuna', eh? Sans would've loved it.

They opened the door… and immediately wrinkled their nose in disgust.

Comics were strewn all across the floor along with some dirty laundry and crumpled wrappers. The bed was unmade and the closet door halfway open. There were open notebooks and papers thrown haphazardly across the table, uncaring if they survived in one piece or not. A thin layer of dust covered everything.

_Dust_… A shiver crawled up their spine.

***Well…** Chara peaked over their shoulder, **at least there isn't a sock tornado**.

Small mercies.

_Very_ small mercies.

"I wanted to clean it but…" Nana hugged herself, looking at the room with a small smile. "I couldn't bear to. Tsu-kun would've been upset if he found out I went rummaging through his room."

Hesitant, they placed a hand on her arm, "I think Tsuna's grateful for… well, leaving the room as it is."

"Really?" Nana smiled.

The lie almost made them throw up, but they smiled and nodded, "Un! Really."

"Ah, that's great," she giggled, "I'll go and make dinner while you clean up. Hamburger steak, your favourite!" With that, she skipped away content with leaving the child alone to deal with Tsuna's mess.

***Waa, this is going to take a while**, Chara giggled, **Tsuna was a lot like Sans, huh? Lazy, stupid but with a hidden power… That makes me wonder…**

"… what Tsuna's secret power is," Frisk finished. They leant down to pick up a stray comic book ('Bungou Stray Dogs') and wiped away the dust. "Just because his room is a mess doesn't mean he has a superpower too, you know. This universe might not even have magic, for stars' sake."

Chara shrugged, flopping down onto the bed and stretching out. ***Who knows what this world has in store for us, **_**partner**_**. Expect the unexpected, a wise man once said. Except that wise man was from one of Alphys's anime, so…**

Frisk sighed. The ghost was right, but their current problem involved a dirty room. They'd deal with it later.

. . .

Dinner was surprisingly delicious. Frisk could see why Tsuna's favourite food had been hamburger steak.

Dinner was made even more delicious by the fact that Frisk had spent the whole afternoon cleaning Tsuna's – since they'll be living there, shouldn't it be theirs? – room so by now they were practically _starving_.

Chara watched them in morbid awe as they gobbled the delicious food down.

***Geez**, they muttered, **is her food **_**really**_** that good?** They sounded sceptical.

They threw the ghost child a thumbs up before going back to their food.

Once Frisk was done and sipping their tea, Nana spoke up.

"Frisk-kun… You'll be returning to school on Monday," Frisk paused and set the mug onto the table. Their half-lidded gaze bore into Nana, making her tense.

"Ah, why?" They were curious.

"Hibari-kun will get mad if you aren't attending school. And… I also think it will be beneficial for your health." She worried her lip.

Frisk thought about it for a moment before shrugging, "I guess you're right. Where do I even to school? An elementary school? Or some sort of academy…?"

"Namimori Elementary," Nana took a bite out of her steak, "It's right next to Namimori Middle, so their graduates usually choose that middle school to continue their education in. You're in 5th grade right now, you're second to last year. I've contacted the school and they arranged to have one of your classmates tutor you until you catch up."

Frisk hummed quietly. Nana sounded strange when she mentioned them catching up on their school work. Perhaps it was because of Tsuna's status as a 'dame'? No matter, Frisk was fairly intelligent and if push came to shove, Chara would look at their classmates' tests and shout out the answers. It's not like Frisk liked cheating or even encouraged them, it's just that Chara would do it anyway in an attempt to annoy them. Better to accept the inevitable than waste time denying it.

(A few years down the road, they would dearly wish to throw that philosophy into the trash because _I DON'T WANT TO BECOME A MAFIA BOSS, REBORN! HIIEE! ARE THOSE REAL __**BULLETS**__?_)

"And… about the boys that pushed you down the stairs…" Nana stared down into her plate. "They were suspended."

"Oh?" An eyebrow rose.

Under normal circumstances, they would've been expelled. Hell, Frisk wanted them to be expelled for what the did to Tsuna – _**murderers**_ – if only to appease Chara's need for violence… and revenge. Then again, Tsuna was known far and wide as 'dame' and clumsy, and they've even heard the hospital staff whispering about how he did it for attention or that he simply _tripped because he's Dame-Tsuna and oh so clumsy you see_ and _it's a shame those poor boys were blamed for something that wasn't their fault_ and that _Hibari-kun shouldn't hold them accountable for Dame-Tsuna's mistakes_.

Those nurses would never know how close they came to being _massacred_ by an enraged child ghost. Giving control over to Chara after hearing _that_ enlightening conversation crossed Frisk's mind more than once, in spite of their forgiving mindset. The only reason they didn't was because killing humans still made their stomach churn… and there was a 73% possibility of Sans building a universe hopping machine just so he could beat them into the ground for causing _another_ genocide.

They bit back a snort. Sans, much like Spider-Man, had a sixth sense but instead of it acting like heightened anxiety, it was the ability to know when they were doing something they _really_ shouldn't be and the usual outcome was Frisk having a _**bAd tImE**_.

A shudder of sheer terror returned them to reality.

"Frisk-kun?" While Nana's concern was endearing, it was really unnecessary.

They pursed their lips and tried for a smile. "I'm fine, just… shouldn't they have been expelled? Tsuna… because of them he isn't around anymore."

Nana waved their concerns away with a hand. "Oh no, it's alright. Tsu-kun wouldn't have wanted them to be expelled. He is such a sweetheart, you see… Besides, four weeks of suspension is enough punishment. Don't you agree?"

***Geez. Either Tsuna was a real doormat, or Nana doesn't know her son as well as she thinks she does.** Chara's voice was scathing. If they had a physical body, they would've definitely beat some sense into that woman. When someone tried to kill you, _you don't usually forgive them for it_.

Unless you're Frisk.

Chara froze with a dawning look of realisation on their face, which quickly turned into horror. Their cheeks drained of all colour. Holy moon and stars above, Tsuna had been Frisk 2.0! They're suddenly very glad that the boy was dead and could no longer encourage Frisk's friendly personality. Who knew what he could've done! He might've even assisted them with making friends with people who tried to kill them!

They shuddered at the mere thought.

"I suppose," the muttered, proving Chara's point.

The First Fallen Child thanked whatever depraved gods were out there that Tsuna was dead and in no way or form capable of interacting with Frisk. They didn't need a second self-sacrificing, overly-forgiving pacifist in their afterlife, _thank you very much_.

The rest of dinner passed by somewhat pleasantly. Nana tried to start a few conversations, but Frisk was too distracted to pay attention and Chara had no patience for the emotional human woman. Eventually, they went upstairs to familiarise themselves with their room while Nana stayed downstairs washing the dishes.

Frisk sighed as they shut the door behind them, "School… Yay."

Chara's answering snickers did not help quell their anxiety and despair at going through 5th grade, _again_. First time around was hellish enough, but now they had to go through all that with the added bonus of being a social pariah?

***If I remember correctly, humans have enough common sense to leave people alone after a traumatic experience. At least for a little while**, they stretched out on the bed, taking as much space as possible. Frisk shrugged and sat down on the considerably soft carpet (wise move when you're clumsy) instead, with their back against the bed.

They hesitated, "… hey Chara?"

***What? **

"When I was looking for Tsuna in my consciousness, I found something… _else_."

Chara sat up, suddenly a little to interested in this conversation. They crossed their legs and peered down at their _partner_. Frisk tilted their head up and leaned it against the bed.

***And would this else happen to be, let's say… a cracked wall?**

Frisk nodded. The response had Chara slumping.

***Same thing happened to me. When I closed my eyes to look for the brat, I found the wall. Which is weird since it definitely wasn't there before we got to this universe. So, think it has something to do with Tsuna?** A cheeky grin highlighted their pink cheeks but it was wiped off as a pillow sailed through their face. **Hey!**

"If you're going to say what I think you are, save it," they huffed. Their earlier conversation about Sans and secret BAMF-ness better not have something to do with this. "Anyway, we have more important things to worry about than… _that_."

***And what, pray tell, might that be?** Their tone had an edge of mocking. Their grin made Frisk want to throw another pillow at them, however useless it might be.

"_Our_ powers," the grin disappeared. Frisk was pleased. "Reset, SAVE, LOAD, and the game-like nature of the Underground."

***You got a point there. We'll be in trouble if we can't use SAVE. Especially if someone tries to murder us **_**again**_**.**

_Seriously_, they were barely in their teens, they shouldn't be surrounded by so much murder and death.

"So, shall we?" They smiled at them impishly. And if Frisk wasn't mistaken, a spark of fondness lit up Chara's eyes for a second there.

***Be my guest.** They made a gesture with their hands, urging them on.

"Right," their eyes fell shut of their own accord as Frisk took a deep breath and said, nay demanded, in English, "_Menu, please_."

Much to their relief, a menu popped up.

**FRISK  
LV 1  
HP 9/10  
Y 0**

**ITEM  
STAT**

**"Frisk"  
**

**LV 1  
HP 9/10  
**

**AT 0 (0) EXP: 0  
DF 0 (0) NEXT: 10  
FP N/A FLAMES: Sealed**

**WEAPON: N/A  
ARMOUR: N/A  
**

**YEN: 0  
**

"Yen… Japanese currency?" Frisk wondered, pleased that they were still 'Frisk' in the eyes of the game.

***Forget that!** Chara yelped, an un_**chara**_cteristically alarmed look plastered on their face. **Why is your HP so low? Even with your LV at 1, your HP should be 20! You're almost as HOPEless as that comedian!**

Secretly touched at their friend's (_yes, you are their friend so shut up, Chara_) concern, though not stupid enough to voice it, they replied, "It's weird… I'm not depressed or sad, and I'm not even forcibly lowering my HP like Napstablook. So that means… It's this body's amount of HOPE, _Tsuna's_ HOPE."

Chara went quiet. ***Ah, so that means…**

"If he continued on like this, Tsuna would've been out of HOPE in no time. With or without our interference, he wouldn't even reach adulthood," their bury their face into the pillow they still hadn't thrown at Chara, almost tearing the lining with their white-knuckled grip. It's a miracle Sans had survived with only 1 HP; the only thing holding him together was his brother and on the Genocide Runs his need to end Frisk's reign of terror (_and vengeance… mind flashing to dusty red scarves and "I BELIEVE IN YOU" and dust on their boots… __**definitely**__ vengeance_).

***That sucks**, Chara oh so eloquently commented.

Nonetheless, Frisk nodded. That's the most sympathy they've ever heard Chara express. Recently, they've become more… human? Less asshole-y, for sure. Maybe it was the new universe? Was it something in the air?

The silence lasted for about thirty seconds before Chara made a surprised sound.

"Hm?" They tilted their head to look at them.

***Either I'm hallucinating, or we got a new stat**. They stared at the screen in disbelief.

_What? _

Frisk turned to the screen and spotted the cause of Chara's disbelief. They blinked; as if their action would cause it to _magically_ disappear and confirm that yes, both of them were hallucinating.

***FP, Flames, sealed… What in the world is that supposed to mean?**

_A cracked wall leaking drowsy orange flames—_

Frisk had an idea. And idea they would regret voicing, "So, about that special power you think Tsuna had," a pause, "has."

A snort left their lips. ***So, we're a pyromaniac now? Pyrokinetic?**

"That would explain why it says what it says. FP could stand for Fire Power, or Flame Points. There are a lot of possibilities. The 'sealed' part is important, especially since I…" All of a sudden Tsuna's bookcase was much more interesting.

(He actually had good tastes in comics. Both Chara and Frisk have got hooked on 'Bungou Stray Dogs', as weird and deceptively silly the storyline is. They've managed to make it well into the manga since they had literally nothing else to do in the hospital. They've especially begun to adore Atsushi for their similar pasts. Chara prefers the Port Mafia though, _**sans**_ Mori.)

***Are you hiding something from me, **_**partner**_**?** Their lips curled as they appeared inches from Frisk's face. **That's not **_**cool**_**.**

A part of them that's still the weak, little Frisk from the first Run was terrified, practically shaking in their boots. But the Frisk that had spent literal _timelines_ with the genocidal brat was less than impressed. With a single finger to the forehead they pushed Chara back.

"Think before jumping to conclusions, Chara," they ran a hand through their short buzzcut. The doctors had to shave it all off after the fall because they couldn't preform surgery with Tsuna's thick mane of curls in the way. It's a shame. His hair had looked so soft.

***Oh?** They said dangerously.

"I've… been experiencing some troubles with my coordination. The only reason I'm not tripping over thin air is because I've been focussing the whole time. If I'm not focussing…" they trailed off. … _I'd be 'Dame-Tsuna'._

***Dyspraxia?**

They shook their head, "It doesn't feel like a physical problem to me. It's more… mental? No, that's not it either. I think it has something to do with Flames and them being sealed. Like, everything is out of harmony? I'm not sure."

Chara frowned, adopting a thinking pose in and crossing their legs in mid-air. ***Flames…? Seal…? Coordination? Not mental, not physical… **They froze. **If it's neither mental nor physical, then that means it's… Frisk, pull out your SOUL! **_**NOW**_**!**

Bemused, they did as asked. When Chara got like this, it was easier to comply than to fight them.

As the room around them dimmed in the glow of their SOUL, Frisk's heart almost stopped. If they had been older, they would've experienced a heart attack for sure.

Their SOUL, as per usual, appeared in the shape of a cartoon heart. It was the same shade of Chara's eyes, also per usual, which signified a great amount of DETERMINATION. However… this was the first time it appeared with bright amber cracks running across it in imitation of Lichtenberg Figures.

"Ah," their reaction was as emotive as always.

***They're the same as the wall**. As if Frisk didn't already know that.

"And if that wall has something to do with these 'Flames' being sealed—"

***If we learn how to unseal you and actually go through with it, will your SOUL turn orange? And if it does, will your powers—** Chara couldn't bring themself to say it.

An orange SOUL, a _Brave_ SOUL. So unlike the red of DETERMINATION, it almost physically hurt.

A wise man once said that it was better to live in the present than to regret yesterday and worry about tomorrow (or something like that…), and Frisk preferred that lifestyle. Why worry about what's to come when everyone dies in the end? You're having fun now, so_ have fun_.

In spite of that, Frisk feared that what Chara said was true. The Fallen Humans with the red SOULs were the only ones capable of wielding DETERMINATION to its full, time-bending extent. If they lost that after so long—

They were at a loss.

A glance at Chara's expression (_so, so lost, __**if you die and don't come back where will that leave me?**_) had them shoving that fear deep, deep down and gently smiling.

"No need to worry, Chara. The laws of this universe are obviously different. Maybe… orange is this universe's version of our red. Who knows?" They shrugged. "Maybe our powers are an 'us' thing, since our SOULs are so in tune, and we'll keep it even after our SOUL turns Brave. Don't worry, I have a feeling it will all work out."

… or so they hoped.

Chara stared at them and scoffed afterwards. ***As I would ever worry over you, idiot! In fact, I'd be absolutely **_**delighted**_** to be rid of your pacifistic ass. You only cause me headaches. **The words were cruel, but they had no bite.

Frisk lips twitched up into a delighted little smile, one that caused their whole face to light up and their eyes to glow. "Right, right. Sorry, Chara!" Unbidden giggles escaped from their mouth making the ghost's cheeks redden even more.

Whatever the future might hold for them, they would deal with it later. For now, their greatest concern would be surviving elementary school with their patience intact and their LV at 1.

After all, humans take killing much more seriously than Monsters and the two Fallen Children had no desire to be arrested.

***Also, **_**I told you so**_**.**

"Chara, _shush_."

. . .

**For those who have no idea about the Undertale game mechanics, a short and hopefully helpful crash course (taken from the Undertale wiki and the game)**:  
**LV aka LOVE aka Level of Violence**: A way of measuring someone's capacity to hurt. The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself. The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt. The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others.  
**EXP aka Execution Points**: A way of quantifying the pain you have inflicted on others. When you kill someone, your EXP increases.  
**HP**: I'll be using HOPE instead of Hit Points or Health Points, though they pretty much work like that. Your HP lessens the more damage you take, and if your HP hits 0 it's game over.  
**ATK**: It determines the damage output of the attacking party, increases with LV and weapons. The number in the () determines the weapon's power  
**DEF**: It reduces the amount of HP you lose. The number in () denotes the defence of your armour. DEF can be changed temporarily during battles with certain ACTs or consumables.  
**FP aka ?**: Hm… You'll see :)

I saw an author do this but forgot which one, and since it seemed beneficial to my continued patience, did it:

**Q**: Ne, ne, but doesn't HP stand for Hit Points/Health Points?  
**A**: Probably. But I'm going with HOPE because of multiple theories, comics and my own beliefs. Besides, I think it depends on the person.

**Q**: UH… A pillow flies through Chara but Frisk can touch them? Explain?  
**A**: The only person capable of physically touching Chara is Frisk, but only when they both consent to it.

**Q**: When will Reborn show up?  
**A**: Seeing as this is like, what, who years? before the whole mafia drama, it won't be for a while. I already have the basic outline of 10(?) chapters and they only reach into December… so I'm assuming it'll take a while!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I don't bite~

**Timeline**:  
**1991**: _October 14_ \- birth of Sawada Tsunayoshi  
**2002**:  
_September 3_ \- Tsuna's had a great fall  
_September 24_ \- Chara and Frisk wake up  
_September 29 _– events of chapter 2 aka At the Sawada Residence  
**2004**: first few events of KHR


	3. Namimori Elementary School

**Brief chapter summary**: Frisk and Chara are off to school, much to their displeasure. Can they survive their first day, or will they gain some LOVE? And surprise POV changes!

**Warnings**: Possible OOC-ness, Undertale inaccuracies, threats of violence, minor mentions of major injuries.

. . .

Much to the Fallen Children's irritation, the days passed by quickly and before they knew it, Monday had arrived.

The days leading up to it weren't all that eventful. Frisk and Chara had spent most of it locked up in _Tsuna's_ their room, experimenting with the game mechanics and reading manga.

They had also tried to do some of Tsuna's schoolwork to see what level they're at. _Tried_, being the keyword. Because apparently, they sucked at Japanese characters and (surprise!) most of what he had been studying was written in kanji.

Fun fact. Chara didn't know a lick of Japanese; the only reason they followed along was because of their connection with Frisk.

During the time they spent at the Sawada home, Nana won Frisk over with her delicious food (_Toriel's was better_) and overall cheer. While the random episodes in which she walked around in a daze were off-putting, they were easily ignored ("Is it something that happens to people of this universe, you think?" ***I don't know and don't care.**). As for Chara… well, no one would ever be able to 'replace' Toriel in their eyes, nevermind a _human_.

Chara and Frisk also managed to find a SAVE point. In a hilarious turn of events, it was right outside the gates. It was a pain to get to since Nana immediately noticed them trying to sneak out. Luckily, a quickly improvised excuse of getting the mail helped them get outside and SAVED.

Although… Frisk could've sworn that there had been nothing there when they arrived. You would've thought that they'd notice a glowing star in the middle of the freaking street, but nope.

"Frisk-kun! Are you ready?" Nana's voice called out from what they guessed was the kitchen. She was always in there after all. "I have to give you something before you head out, so you might be late if you don't hurry down…"

"Be down in a minute!" They said in reply, still staring at their reflection.

Chara hovered over their shoulder like some demented guardian angel… or demon. Yeah, 'demon' fit Chara better than angel.

Tsuna—_They_ were… odd.

No, not appearance wise; it was just jarring to see an unfamiliar face in the mirror replace the somewhat neat bob and dark skin of their previous body.

Instead of dark, short and messy, their hair was a light brown and already began to curl despite its short length. It did nothing to hide the large patch of discoloured skin taking up the left side of their forehead, right under their hairline. Their skin was pale, but they chalked that up to staying inside for borderline four weeks.

Chara's fingers idly traced the edges of the jagged scar. Frisk shoved them away with an annoyed huff. While it didn't hurt anymore, it still itched like crazy and Chara wasn't helping at all.

They glanced at the mirror again. Their hands and face were definitely inherited from Nana. It made them look more like a girl but they didn't mind. An androgynous look was what they were going for, after all.

They retained their amber eyes, which they were thankful for, glad to have at least one familiar thing to look at.

***Despite everything, it's still you.** Chara commented. Frisk bit their cheek to hide a smile. **Now let's go already, you slowpoke.**

"Right, sorry," with that they left the bathroom and headed downstairs.

"Oh Frisk-kun," Nana gasped as soon as she spotted them in the kitchen doorway, "You look so handsome – just like your papa," she sounded almost wistful.

"Thank you," they smiled.

The school uniform itched against their skin. They took a moment to thank whatever loathsome gods held power over them for giving them a male body this time around. They wouldn't have worn the female uniform in a million years.

It wasn't that they disliked skirts or anything (they're actually quite comfortable)… It's just gender stereotypes and peer pressure annoyed them to no end. If they wanted to wear a skirt, they would, but if someone _told_ them to wear a skirt simply because of their gender…

There's a good reason Frisk always kept their temper in check.

***She wanted to give you something**. Chara helpfully supplied.

"Oh right," they blinked, "You wanted to give me something?"

"I almost forgot!" Nana pulled something out of her pocket. Frisk blinked and took it.

***Congratulations! Nana has given you a CELL PHONE**, Chara commented in a mock cheerful voice.

Frisk bit their lip before a smile could form. That brought back memories…

A second after the comment left the ghost's lips, the cell phone – a Nokia in an orange casing – disappeared in a flash of light. Nana didn't so much as blink, oblivious to the game's mechanics.

***Well that's awfully convenient. **

Frisk nodded. It would've been a pain if they lost the cell or someone stole it. There's no place safer to be than their Inventory.

"Thank you, N—mama," their smile strained but the woman didn't seem to notice. "I appreciate you getting a phone for us."

"Ara, it wasn't a problem!" She grinned, "I already put in my number. So, if something happens, don't be afraid to call me."

"Got it," they nodded. "But I should get going. School starts in half an hour…"

Nana's eyes widened, "Oh dear, you should get going. Hibari-kun will bite you to death if you're late!"

What.

Frisk blinked. "Um, okay?"

What was that even supposed to _mean_?

Their mind flashed to Undyne for a quick second causing a shiver to craw up their spine. Oh sweet stars, they hoped Nana didn't mean it literally! Just thinking of a human with Undyne's sharp teeth nearly made them run upstairs and curl into a ball under their comfortable blankets.

***Oh~?** Chara perked up.

Oh no.

"You remember the directions to Nami-sho, right?" She fluttered around their still form nervously, "It's just a few blocks away from here. I can go with you if you're uncertain—"

"Ah, there's no need for that!" Frisk hurried to reassure her. "I remember the way and I'm sure I'll see at least some of my schoolmates on the way. There's no need to worry, I won't get lost!"

. . .

Frisk was undeniably, most definitely _lost_.

The body snatcher groaned and buried their face in their hands. They just had to jinx it, hadn't they?

***This is hilarious!** Chara crowed, bent over and holding their stomach as semi-maniacal giggles escaped from their mouth. **You totally jinxed—**

"_Chara_," they whined in mortification.

By now, there was no way they _weren't_ late. This 'Hibari' was going to bite them to death, whatever that meant. They had an inkling that it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. They had been hoping to make a good 'first' impression on their classmates, but now…

***Uh, Frisk?** They ignored them.

"You'd think that after navigating the Underground for who knows how long I'd be able to make my way to an elementary school in a freaking _human_-designed city!" Their eyes burned. Really, this body was so emotional… "But nope! I'm apparently bad at directions now! And the ones Nana gave us were so simple – _turn left, then head straight until you reach a crossroads, then right, then left, then straight ahead and_—ugh!" They dug their palms into their eye sockets, trying to stave off a pounding headache. "I can't even remember it anymore! Which is really weird, since I used to have a great memory. Years of repeating everything again _and again and __**again**_ do that to you. So why can't I remember simple directions?"

They must've been making a scene. A lone, scarred child crying in the middle of the road… They would later be surprised that no one thought to approach them.

***Frisk! **

"_What_?" They snapped back, looking up. Their vision was blurred from the tears, but they could still see a figure looming over them. It wasn't Chara. It couldn't be.

"… Sawada-kun," so the figure was a boy, from the sound of his voice. Around their age. He sounded hesitant, like he wanted to be anywhere but here, and surprised.

Was he one of Tsuna's bullies? They pursed their lips. While they were a forgiving sort, bullying a child to his death was not something they could ever forgive. If this boy tried _anything_…

"Here you go," the boy crouched down and handed him a tissue. Caught off guard, Frisk took it, blew their nose and wiped their eyes with the sleeves of their uniform. The boy winced. "Don't do that, Sawada-kun. Kyo-san isn't fond of dirty uniforms. And you're already late as it is."

"I don't know who this 'Kyo-san' is," they looked up and nearly did a double take. In the background, they could see – and hear – Chara snickering.

The boy that helped them was maybe a few years older than them. They'd watched a few anime with Alphys once upon a Run, and the delinquents in them dressed exactly like the boy. Except this one's eyes were… kinder?

Nonetheless, they still sent a dubious look at his hairstyles. Pompadours in this day and age? _Seriously_?

The possible delinquent blinked, disbelief shining in his eyes, "What did you just say?"

"I don't know who this 'Kyo-san' is," they finally collected themselves and stood up, "And quite frankly, I could care less what he thinks. I just want to get to Nami-sho, wherever that is."

The delinquent choked on his own spit. He blanched at the blatant way they said the name and turned grey when they said they could care less about him. Frisk could spot a sliver of anger mixed in with the shock and horror too.

***He reminds me of a corpse**, Chara grinned. **Would he look like that if we k—**

"Chara, no," they said firmly, "Bad Chara, _bad_."

***You—** they looked offended; **Do I look like a dog to you?**

"A rabid one, sure," they smiled at the ghost serenely.

***Oh, well, if I'm a dog then you're a—you're a—um, rabbit! Yeah, you're a rabbit**! Their eyes gleamed, **An easily killed, wimpy, pacifistic creature used for food and as a pet! Ha, at least dogs are—are you even listening to me, you brat?!**

They'd long since mastered the art of ignoring death threats and insults. They were even better at tuning out Chara.

"Who are you, anyways?" They stared at the horrified delinquent, "One of Tsuna's bullies? If so, I have a genocidal Chara who's itching to stab someone."

"Chara?" He furrowed his eyebrows, "There are no records of a 'Chara' going to Nami-sho or even living in Namimori."

Records? Why would he even mention records? It's not like kids could ever get a hold of something like that… right?

"Because they don't," they said in a dry voice, "Chara is… what was it that the doctor said? Hm, Chara?"

The ghost huffed and crossed their arms, ***So **_**now**_** you're paying attention to me? Brat.**

"Chara…"

***Fine, fine, he called me an alter! Geez, your memory really has taken a nose dive, huh.** Chara sneered.

"Thank you," they sent their friend a tiny smile before turning back to the staring delinquent, "The doctor called Chara and I alters. My name is Frisk. Nice to mean you!" They beamed at him. They knew from experience that it always disarmed people whenever they smiled like that.

"Alters? So, the rumours are true then…" They zeroed in on that. Chara tensed, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

*****_**Rumours**_**?**

"Rumours?"

While Chara's tone was pleasantly murderous, Frisk's was simply curious.

"There have been rumours going around that you went crazy after the fall and lost your memories. I guess it makes sense. You wouldn't have talked about Kyo-san like that if you knew who he was," he mused. His eyes were locked on their recently acquired scar with an intense emotion they couldn't place.

"That's offensive. _Chara's_ the borderline psychopath, not me, and definitely not Tsuna," they corrected him. There was no doubt in Frisk's mind that those _horrible_ nurses started the rumours.

"You have Multiple Personality Disorder?" The delinquent looked wrinkled his nose, making Chara bristle and Frisk's hand itch for the stick they could see just out of the corner of their eye.

"Yes. I said so before, didn't I? Tsuna's gone and we were left behind. I'm Frisk, Frisk the… Gatekeeper, I believe the doctor called me. Chara is another alter, but they're more vicious so I rarely let them have control. We're both agender, so please use they/them pronouns," they lied their behind off. Hopefully the delinquent would buy it. If not, the stick was always an option.

'Gatekeeper'… It was, oddly enough, a title that fit Frisk nicely.

"Oh," the delinquent stayed silent for a long while after that. So long, if fact, Frisk almost thought they broke him. But then he spoke up again, "I'm Kusakabe Tetsuya of the Namimori Middle Disciplinary Committee. Nice to meet you, Frisk-kun, Chara-kun."

"Kusakabe, huh? Cool name!" They smiled. "Are you even old enough to be in middle school?"

Kusakabe smiled blandly, "I'll escort you Nami-sho and explain why you're late to Kyo-san. Since you have amnesia, it's perfectly normal for you to get lost on your way there."

That made sense. Right, how could they forget? Tsuna's body was very different from theirs so it was expected that he had a different brain that worked in ways their old one didn't. So he had a bad memory, it would correspond with his terrible grades.

_**OrangelightcrackedwallsfirefireflameswarmthdrowsinessISITTIMEYET?**_

They flinched at the sudden flash of images entering their brain.

"Frisk-kun?" Kusakabe's voice brought them back to reality. The delinquent (disciplinary committee member?) looked concerned.

"I'm okay," they smiled, "Just bit my tongue!"

"Ah, I see. Let's go then," he spun around on his heel and strode off. Frisk followed.

Chara lingered for a moment longer, eyes drilling holes into the back of Frisk's head. Their mouth opened but nothing came out. Frowning, they made a mental note to mention that later and followed after.

. . .

Hibari Kyoya was a complicated human being. Of course, he would forever deny his status as a mere human and claim to be of a superior species, a _carnivore_ of the highest calibre.

His particular mindset started after a few too many hours spent watching Discovery Channel. His mother had been way beyond displeased when he attempted to call her an herbivore and even less pleased when he attacked her fake carnivore of a father. That day was _never_ to be mentioned in his presence. If someone ever did, they would be ruthlessly _bitten to death_.

There were few things in life that he cared about.

His family were one such thing, with the notable exception of his mother's relatives. They were covered in too much deceit and blood for him to ever trust again. His uncle was exempt, but the only reason he allowed the man to stay in Namimori was because he was too dedicated to his job to ever consider going against the Hibari household's sacred Laws.

He also cared for his fledgling Disciplinary Committee, no matter how small and how annoying it could be. He had won their unwavering loyalty a year previous after defeating all their members one after another. They had sworn loyalty to him and his own and swore to abide by his rules, implementing them in Nami-chuu swiftly and effectively. He would still beat them mercilessly for crowding, breaking the rules and being general nuisances, but he gave them _some_ leeway.

But above all else, he cared for Namimori. It's citizens? Not so much; they were all herbivores pretending to be carnivores.

But Namimori, especially Nami-sho and Nami-chuu, were _his_. They belonged to him and only him no matter what his father's relatives might say. He'd bite them to death if they protested.

After Sawada Tsunayoshi – _the most pathetic herbivore Kyoya had the displeasure of disciplining, the runt of the litter, weak, useless, Dame-Tsuna_ – had been injured in _his_ school by a pack of no-good herbivores, to say he had been furious was an understatement. His second-in-command had to take them to the hospital after he was finished with them.

When the news reached him that the useless herbivore was to all intents and purposes _dead_, Kyoya had destroyed a few dozen trees situated around the family compound and had nearly broken his father's arm.

While he hadn't particularly liked Sawada, he hadn't wanted him dead. Not while he was attending Nami-sho.

Kyoya… remembered a time when he was still a baby carnivore, he met a tiny fluffball with the brightest smile he had ever seen. There had been something inexplicably _warm_ and _kind_ about him. He could've sworn he had seen an orange flame flickering in his hands once or twice, but when he told his mother she had laughed and congratulated him on finding a baby Sky for himself.

Two weeks later, the boy was tripping over himself and the warmth was gone. _Kyoya's_ warmth was gone, and his little mind had immediately concluded that the boy had taken it and was hiding it from him.

He'd been _so_ angry at that time, angry enough that his mother called her father in for a talk. As usual, that ended in disaster and was also never spoken of again.

And if Tetsu noticed that he never held back against Sawada like he did against all the other baby herbivores, he didn't mention it.

But to have someone hurt enough to cause brain damage in _his_ school…

He should've dealt with the bullying a long time ago, but nearly a decade long grudge was hard to work around. He didn't regret his decisions when it came to Sawada, but he was… _displeased_… with how his life had ended. Now, he wouldn't even be capable of forcibly taking _his_ warmth back from Sawada.

And then suddenly Sawada was awake and hailed as a medical miracle, then a freak, then finally a nut case. Not only did he wake up, but he woke up without any memories and claiming to be a whole different person.

Kyoya had scoffed when he heard the news and went to bite a crowd of herbivores to death. So what if he felt lighter than when he thought the herbivore was dead? He had a chance of reclaiming _his_ warmth, that was all.

But Monday came – the day Sawada would be returning to Nami-sho – and the herbivore was a no show. He sat hidden in the branches of a tree, watching, waiting, but still, Sawada did not show up.

He snarled.

Late on his first day? Healed or not, Kyoya was going to bite him to death for his stupidity and candour.

He'd avoid the head and focus on the other body parts because while he was a tyrant, he wasn't cruel enough to aggravate a head injury. His uncle would blow a fuse and that was annoying to deal with.

It was well into first period when Tetsu appeared, Sawada trailing after him like a lost puppy. Kyoya's eyes narrowed into thin slips and he jumped down, landing silently on the balls of his feet. He prowled forward like a cat examining its prey.

The herbivore peaked around Tetsu's towering form, eyes half-lidded and hidden from view.

Kyoya paused for a split second at seeing the jagged scar, the confirmation that he was harmed in _his_ school.

He continued his stride with a blank, borderline murderous, expression on his face.

"Herbivore," he ground out behind clenched teeth, "for being late, I will bite you to death."

His tonfas slid into his hands without a moment's notice and he prepared to lunge—

Tetsu stepped in front of the herbivore, an uncharacteristically solemn look in his eyes. It was enough to give Kyoya pause, if only from confusion.

"Kyo-san…" he sighed, "The rumours are true."

He didn't need to say which rumours.

Kyoya's eyes darkened.

Amnesia and insanity, all in one herbivore? It would be troublesome to deal with. That was _without_ taking his bully problem into account. With it, Sawada would be a _nuisance_.

"Kyo-san?" The herbivore's bemused voice piped up from behind Tetsu. "I expected you to be scarier. But you aren't as scary as some of the people I know."

The tone of voice and his words nearly made him bash the stupid herbivore's head in. He definitely had amnesia, there was no doubt now. The old Sawada would be shaking in his boots by now and crying, but it didn't look like it even crossed _this_ Sawada's mind.

He stepped out from behind Tetsu and Kyoya immediately noticed the differences. His fluffy mane of hair was gone, replaced by short curls that did nothing to hide the discoloured skin on his forehead. It looked as though his head had been cracked open, which Kyoya knew for a fact was true. His expression was somewhere between calm and bored, eyes half closed and fluttering. There was a flash of orange behind those lashes, but he chalked it off as a trick of the light. Sawada's eyes were _brown_ after all.

Sawada's words echoed in his ears. Irritation flooded his veins as a truly nasty aura radiated from his admittedly tiny form.

Sawada tensed, making Kyoya smirk. Tetsu winced.

"Oh?" He said dangerously, lifting his tonfa. "Is that so… For underestimating me, I'll bite you to death."

Sawada stared at him thoughtfully before opening his mouth, "You have a really high amount of LV, don't you?" The video game terminology gave him pause, "Fighting you would just end with me in pain, and I can't really afford that now. I'm not underestimating you; I'm just stating the truth."

Tetsu face palmed as Kyoya lunged, even more infuriated by the weak herbivore's words.

Sawada's eyes widened, revealing orbs as brightly coloured as _his_ flames had been. Now that he was closer, Kyoya could sense something he hadn't felt in years. It was barely there, just out of reach, but the warmth it exuded was still the same.

It made him falter, but not stop completely.

Sawada ducked under the swing and took a wary step back in case he attacked again. Kyoya didn't, too surprised at the sudden return of his warmth.

He let nothing show on his face, he wasn't an _herbivore_ after all.

"Kyo-san?" Tetsu sounded surprised. He should be. Kyoya rarely stopped a biting unless there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Kyoya frowned. If anyone else had seen him frown, they would've screamed and run for the hills. Sawada stared at him instead.

"You," he pointed a tonfa at the herbivore, "are different."

Sawada smiled serenely.

"I'm not Tsuna. Of course I'm different," he said, "I'm Frisk. I'm what you would call an alter, a split personality of Tsuna's. I'm not the only one. There's also Chara, but I don't let them take control unless I want bodies. We're both agender, so please refer to us using the appropriate pronouns."

Tetsu made a face, somewhere between bemused and horrified. Out of the corner of his eye he could see him mouthing 'bodies' to himself incredulously.

"And Sawada? Where's he?" He demanded to know. He needed the herbivore to tell him why the warmth was back.

An undecipherable emotion entered his—no, _their_ eyes. They looked at the school instead of at him, "He's gone. Can I head to class now? I'm already late…"

If anyone else asked, he would've bitten them to death. But his mind was too busy processing the fact that not only did Sawada have MPD, he was also 'gone' and left behind an 'alter' or two that didn't seem to fear him. Not to mention his warmth's sudden return…

"… Tetsu, show them the way," his tonfas slid into the hidden compartments in his jacket as he stalked towards the middle school right next to the elementary school. He spotted some herbivores loitering outside the gates, just _asking_ to be bitten to death. "Herbivore, if you are ever late again, I will bite you do death. Next time, I won't hold back no mater how injured you are."

"Got it, Kyo-san!" He nearly went back on his decision and bit the cheeky herbivore to death. But by the time he turned around, the herbivore had grabbed Tetsu by the wrist and was dragging him into the school, his second-in-command placed strategically between them.

"Tch," he scowled. Next time, he swore to make the biting particularly painful. Maybe a broken bone or two would insure they never addressed them so familiarly again.

. . .

To Hana, Sawada Tsunayoshi was nothing more than a nuisance. Perhaps a little less than all the other monkeys who pretend to be better than they truly were, but still a nuisance. His clumsiness, bad grades and cowardly personality coupled with his detestable crush on Kyoko did not endear him to Hana in the least.

However… he was still better than all the other asshole monkeys who thought they could boss her and Kyoko around just because they were girls. He held at least some respect for them, enough to listen to them and not bother them.

Four weeks ago, Sawada had been pushed down a flight of stairs and rushed to the hospital soon after. Fortunately, Kyoko hadn't been there at the time so she didn't bare witness to the gruesome aftermath. Hana, on the other hand, had turned the corner just as Sawada's skull had hit the floor.

She wasn't a stranger to blood and gore… But something about that scene rubbed her wrong and due to it she spent most of the night regurgitating of her dinner into the toilet.

Once she heard the news that Sawada was as good as dead, she herded the horrified Kyoko away from their classmates and onto the roof.

Kyoko had never been particularly fond of violence, especially when it came to the people she knew, so she had spent the whole lunch break sobbing her little heart out. She'd told Hana that she regretted never stopping the teasing Sawada had to endure even when he'd been kind towards her.

Hana hadn't had the heart to tell her that it was more than teasing Sawada was subject to. If she knew, she'd probably blame herself for never standing up for him.

But then Sawada woke up.

He woke up _different_.

No, _Sawada_ didn't wake up. Something else did in his stead.

She's heard all sorts of crazy rumours throughout the week after his miraculous recovery. Most of them she brushed off because they were something stupid monkeys said, but a few of them were more or less truthful.

According to the official reports, the brain damage caused amnesia and MPD. Hana was at least 50% sure MPD did _not_ work that way, but it was the only thing that could explain Sawada's one-eighty personality shift.

She got curious, so sue her. She'd never heard of something like that happening overnight. Besides, Kyoko was ecstatic that Sawada was up and walking, and very determined to befriend him now that she had a second chance.

That was about the time their homeroom teacher grudgingly asked one of them to tutor Sawada in what he missed. Some of the monkeys in her class had protested while others had wanted the position solely to mess with him.

There were only three people in his whole class that didn't react negatively.

Her, Kyoko, and the baseball star Yamamoto Takeshi.

Her friend wasn't such a surprise because she was a sweetheart and too good for this world, but the baseball-monkey had an uncharacteristically serious look in his eyes. Hana got the feeling that if his grades themselves weren't at the near bottom, he would've offered to help the no-good monkey.

One look at Kyoko's big, pleading eyes had Hana caving and volunteering for the job. Her blinding smile was worth the headaches she'd get from dealing with the Sawada. They always were.

Before she knew it Monday had arrived and with it, Sawada's return to Nami-sho. She dreaded interacting with him, but it would make Kyoko happy and it would also satisfy her curiosity.

"Hana-chan!" Kyoko's cheerful voice broke her from her thoughts. The girl wrapped her arms around her in a hug and no matter how hard Hana tried to get away, it was useless. For such a small body, Kyoko sure had a strong grip.

_Is it in the genes?_ She mused, thinking of her older monkey brother.

"Kyoko," she reluctantly placed a hand on the other's back, "let go of me."

"Right, sorry!" Kyoko stepped back but her smile did not abate. In fact, it just kept growing. "Aren't you excited? Sawada-kun is coming back to school today!"

"Yay," she deadpanned in return.

"Hana-chan!" Kyoko pouted.

Hana's resolve crumbled and she allowed a half-smile to appear on her face. "I'm happy that you're happy, Kyoko. But I'm not exactly thrilled at having to tutor Dame-Tsuna."

Kyoko's smile faltered. It was only for a split second, but it still made her cringe and quickly go over her sentence to see what upset her so.

She blinked. Ah, right… Kyoko hated Sawada's title with a passion she didn't outwardly show.

"Hana-chan, don't call him that. He already has enough on his plate without you adding to it."

"Sorry, Kyoko. I won't call him that again," why oh why was she so _weak_ for this particular girl?

Kyoko beamed at her words. Sunshine, rainbows and everything sweet and nice appeared behind her from out of nowhere. Hana squinted at the brightness.

_Ah, that's why_, she deadpanned.

She looked away with pink dusting her cheeks. To distract herself, she grabbed her friend's hand and walked off in the direction of their class. "C'mon, let's head to class. We don't want to be late or that demon brat will bite us to death."

"Yeah, let's go!" Kyoko pulled ahead of her and started to drag her instead.

Hana bit back a sigh. Today was going to be a pain in the ass.

Twenty minutes into first lesson, and Sawada _still_ wasn't there.

Did he chicken out? Well, with his history she wouldn't be surprised. Amnesia or not, she's pretty sure he'd have some vague ideas of his school life. It wouldn't be a surprise if he elected to skip or transfer.

Or maybe he was late – which wasn't an uncommon occurrence – and the demon perfect got to him? She sighed. That was also a huge possibility. God knows the brat hated Sawada with a passion that rivalled her hate for unnecessary drama.

Kyoko was starting to look worried, glancing outside every now and then to see if she could spot the monkey. The baseball-monkey was staring at the teacher with his usual smile in place, though Hana could spot the crease in his eyebrows from a mile away.

_So even that monkey's worried…_ She placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin in hand.

The door slammed open.

The teacher, who was in the middle on a particularly boring lecture on something or another, went grey as a pompadour haired delinquent wearing the uniform of the DC stepped in. Following at his heels was a small figure Hana easily recognised in spite of the changes.

"K-Kusakabe-san!" The teacher cried incredulously.

Kusakabe's scanned the room. Hana straightened her spine when his eyes landed on her, raising her eyebrow challengingly. Eyes narrowing at the pallor of his face, she assumed something big happened. The older boy had a look in his eyes that practically screamed he regretted waking up today.

The committee's second-in-command looked away and at the teacher, hiding his uneasiness behind a bland smile.

"Sorry to interrupt, sensei, but Sawada-kun," he gestured to the quite boy, "got lost on their way here. I was told to escort them here."

Hana took in the short hair, the jagged scar (_red spilt across the grey steps, shrieks echoing in her eyes, a chest too still to be breathing properly_) and the half-closed eyes.

Her head fell against her desk. Kyoko was going to be _insufferable_.

"A-Ah—" the teacher stammered.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get to my own class now," Hana lifted her head to see Kusakabe giving the class a smile. It wasn't a nice smile. "Please take care of Sawada-kun here. They have amnesia, after all."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the classroom.

As soon as the door slammed shut, her monkey classmates exploded with noise.

"EH? Why was Kusakabe-san here?"

"The rumours are true? Dame-Tsuna has amnesia?"

"Does that mean he's crazy too?"

"Did Hibari-san bite him to death?"

"He doesn't look injured…"

"Geez, why couldn't Dame-Tsuna stay dead? His face is giving me a headache."

"What a freaky scar. He's even uglier now, haha!"

"Did you guys hear? My mom is a nurse at Namimori General and _she_ told me he can hear voices in his head."

"Ew. What a f—"

"Welcome back, Sawada!" The baseball-monkey cut his so-called friends off with his usual amount of cheer. "Glad to see you're alive."

Sweat slid down the side of Hana's face. _Is he an idiot or something?_

Sawada tilted his head. "Thanks, I think?" He turned to the monkey who said he heard voices in his head. "And I don't hear voices in my head. I only hear one, Chara. And they're not a voice. They're a split personality, an alter. Just like me."

"Eh? Sawada-kun, what do you mean by that?" Kyoko piped up from where she had been frowning disapprovingly at their classmates.

"I have Multiple Personality Disorder," he stated firmly, "And I'm _not_ Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna's… elsewhere. I'm Frisk. I like cinnamon-butterscotch pie and I dislike fighting. I'm also agender, so please use the appropriate pronouns. For those who don't know, the pronouns are they/them. Nice to meet you."

He—They gave a Kyoko-level smile, complete with the bunnies and flowers and brightness bullshit.

The monkeys started murmuring amongst themselves.

"So he really is crazy, huh…"

Hana leaned forward, reluctantly intrigued.

"Everyone, Frisk-kun – can I call you that—" they nodded in response to Kyoko's question, "Frisk-kun said to use they/them pronouns, so please do. It's not right to disrespect someone like that! And don't call them crazy!"

"Sorry, Kyoko-chan," the monkeys all appeared cowed by her sudden reprimand.

Hana hid her smirk behind her fingers, feeling pleased at Kyoko finally showing her backbone.

"A-Alright now," the teacher cut in hastily, "Dam—Sawada-kun, please go sit in you seat. The rest of you, calm down and save it for break."

The monkey tilted their head, "As I said before, I'm not Tsuna. Call me Frisk, or don't bother me at all."

With that said, Sawada—Frisk walked over to the only empty desk with more grace than Hana thought they possessed. He didn't so much as stumble on his way there and he even jumped over the foot that was there to trip him! The teacher stood there, gaping at their audacity.

Hana's eyes narrowed. Suddenly, she was all too glad to be tutoring the monkey. She'll be able to observe him much easier with her position…

. . .

In Frisk's opinion, their new classmates deserved to be chased by Undyne and pitted against Sans when he's in a bad mood. Chara agreed, if their murderous murmurs were anything to go by.

There were a few exceptions. Like, only three.

The cheerful looking boy that welcomed them back, despite his careless words, was one. He felt like a nice person even if there was something darker hidden behind his smile… But he was nice to them, so that earned him _some_ brownie points.

The second exception was the sweet looking girl who stood up for them. 'Kyoko' was her name, if what their new classmates said was true. Though Chara had taken one look at her and gone white, muttering something along the lines of ***…not another one…**.

That was odd…

Ignoring Chara's peculiar expression, they stared out the window. Their teacher's drivel meant absolutely nothing to them, so listening would be useless.

The third and last exception was a girl in the back that kept staring at them with intense grey eyes. Frisk was still torn up about her since she didn't join her classmates in ridiculing Tsuna, but she also didn't do anything to stop it. She had just looked amused and curious, and then proud when Kyoko said her piece.

Oddly enough, she reminded them of Kobayashi. They couldn't really explain why, but she did. Maybe they were related?

They shrugged and went back to doodling in their notebook. They drew chibi-Sans and chibi-Chara holding hands in a field of flowers, because it was cute and ridiculous and if Chara saw it, they'd blow a fuse.

Class ended shortly after that. Their new classmates kept sending them hostile looks, but they ignored them with practiced ease.

Kyoko stood up and began to approach them, but some of their other classmates dragged her away much to her displeasure.

Frisk blushed and looked away. Her pout was pretty cute…

The next class started without much fanfare. It was history, so they laid their head on their hands and fell asleep. They were woefully behind anyways, so it wasn't like they'd learn anything.

Hopefully, their tutor might help. Unless they're a jerk like their classmates.

Soon enough it was lunch break and Frisk was left alone in the classroom, everyone else running off to eat with their friends and unwilling to be in the same room as 'Crazy-Tsuna'.

Ah yes, they got a new nickname.

Someone slammed their hands onto their table, making them jump and stare wide eyed. Chara cursed.

"Uh," Frisk stared at exception number 3 with apprehension.

The girl startled at their orange eyes before visibly shaking her head. "Listen, Sawada, Frisk, whoever you are—"

"Call me Frisk!" They smiled their best smile at the girl. She looked startled. "And you are?"

"K-Kurokawa Hana," she reluctantly introduced herself, "I'm going to be your tutor for foreseeable future. I'll be tutoring you every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday evening so you better give it your all." She glared at him. "Got it?"

"Un!" The nodded their head happily.

While Kurokawa did seem like a prickly person, she also felt like a nice one.

"Right…" She sounded suspicious. "We'll be meeting at your house. I don't want a monkey like you anywhere near my place, so you'll just have to deal."

***Monkey?! How dare this—**

"Do you know where it is? If not, I can show you later," they offered.

"I'll find it one way or another. I don't need you help, monkey," Kurokawa scoffed and would've walked off if Miss Sunshine and Sparkles hadn't appeared.

"Hana-chan! Frisk-kun! I'm glad to see you're getting along," Kyoko clapped her hands together, either not noticing Kurokawa's disbelieving expression or simply ignoring it.

"Howdy, I'm Frisk," Frisk's smile was back full force, a spark of mischief in their eyes.

***Don't you dare…** Chara seethed.

"And who might you be, princess?" They purred.

Kyoko blinked at the endearment. Kurokawa choked on her own spit. Chara groaned, burying their face in their hands.

"Princess? That's sweet of you to say, Frisk-kun! I'm Sasagawa Kyoko, but please call me 'Kyoko-chan'," her smile rivalled Nana's in its beauty.

Frisk gently grabbed her hand but before they could do something blatantly _**frisky**_, Kurokawa slapped their hand away. Glancing up, they spotted a dark scowl promising unimaginable pain if they tried that again. It reminded them of Kyo's.

Frisk wisely held their hands up in defeat.

Kyoko glanced between them, brows furrowed in confusion. "Am I missing something?"

***She reminds me of Nana**, Chara admitted.

"I can see the resemblance," they hummed in agreement.

"What resemblance?" Kurokawa glared at them.

"It's nothing. I was just replying to something Chara said," they smiled.

"Chara?" Kyoko cut in, "Is that your, um, what was the word?"

"Alter," Kurokawa helpfully said.

"Yeah, alter!" Kyoko snapped her fingers.

"Yeah, they are."

"What are they like?" Kyoko leaned forward.

Frisk paused and risked a glance at the aforementioned being. An ugly smile greeted them, red eyes glinting in the sunlight. They quickly looked away, straight faced and sweating.

"They're a real… _**chara**_cter, you could say," Frisk giggled at their own joke.

Kurokawa's unimpressed face coupled with Kyoko's delighted giggled made them smile.

"That wasn't an answer, monkey." Frisk sighed.

"I can't really explain what type of person Chara is. They're 'unique'. Maybe in a bad way…" Kyoko's smile faltered, "And they like chocolate more than life itself," Frisk was quick to add, because the thought of her not smiling broke their heart.

"Are they here right now?" Even Kurokawa looked interested in their answer.

"Yeah," they waved a hand in the general direction from which they felt evil and murderous thoughts, "They're right over there."

While Kurokawa appeared sceptical if her raised eyebrow was anything to go by, Kyoko didn't seem to care.

"Nice to meet you too, Chara-kun!"

***Screw you, sunshine**, Chara scowled.

"They said it's a pleasure."

***Why you—**

"Anyway, Frisk-kun. Can we eat lunch with you?" Kurokawa jerked at the question.

"Wha—Hey! Don't decide that without asking me first!" Kyoko turned her wide, glistening eyes on her friend. She froze, a stricken look on her face. Reluctantly, she looked away, "Fine."

Kyoko beamed. Cue sunshine, sparkles, flowers and everything nice in the world appearing in the background.

Frisk squinted.

***Uh, Frisk? Do you see the—**

"Yeah," they whispered.

Was is a 'this-universe' thing?

Lunch was actually enjoyable in comparison to the rest of the day. Frisk and Kyoko spent the whole time chatting about types of cakes, with a few comments from Chara when it came to the chocolate flavoured ones and a few sarcastic interjections from Kurokawa.

When their classmates returned at the end of the break, they all had expressions of shock after seeing the scene. That shock quickly morphed into anger, which only Chara and Kurokawa noticed. Kyoko and Frisk were preoccupied with talks of cake.

Chara's eyes started to glow. Frisk was lucky they could dodge, because they had a feeling that ability would become useful in the near future.

The rest of the day passed by peacefully, and before they knew it, they were back at the Sawada residence eating dinner. They had said goodbye to Kurokawa and Kyoko a few hours ago.

Frisk slumped as soon as they closed the door to their room.

"Well, today's been eventful," they smiled wearily.

***You don't say**, Chara drawled. **You think we'll meet Kyo again tomorrow?**

"With our luck, yes."

Chara winced. Although Frisk had acted fearlessly, they knew that the other child was on edge because of Kyo's aura.

That boy had the aura of someone who enjoyed violence. There was no doubt in their minds that he had a high LV. From what they saw, he was too experienced of a fighter to get that simply from vigorous training.

They glanced at Frisk. Their expression was fierce. Chara knew that expression well.

***… You are not going to make friends with him. There's no way. **

"You said the same thing after meeting edgy Papyrus. And what did I do?"

***You died numerous times.**

"But I befriended him. Kyo will be easy to make friends with. He's a human my age after all. All humans need companionship. We're social creatures, you know."

***When you fail epically, I'll laugh and tell you I told you so.**

"Don't worry. Kyo and I will definitely be friends by the end of the year! Maybe Kurokawa too…"

***Ew, no. She's a b—**

"Chara," Frisk said warningly.

***I was going to say brat.**

"I'm sure you were."

***… Ugh, fine. Good luck with you endeavour. You're doomed to fail anyways.**

"I think I'll manage. What's the worst that could happen?"

. . .

**Probably Chara, the moment Kyoya decides to attack**: . . .  
**Frisk**: Chara… no.  
**Chara**: He's perfect. Flirt with him on my behalf.  
**Frisk**: HE WANTS TO BITE US TO DEATH!  
**Chara**: Everyone has their kinks.

Hope you enjoyed this 'wonderful' chapter. I honestly didn't know what to put in this, and so it ended up like this. Hibari's POV gave me so much trouble I nearly cried. At least I learned that I sucked at writing him, so if he's out of character then… uh, I apologise?

Another thing I learned is that shōgakkō means 'elementary school' in Japanese. So if you saw 'Nami-sho' in the writing above, then don't be confused.

As for the scar, think Kamado Tanjiro.

**Q**: Why a Nokia? Why not a smartphone?  
**A**: Nokias make good weapons, apparently.

**Q**: Bungou Stay Dogs was released in circa 2012. And your fic is set in 2002. How is this possible?  
**A**: Uh… AU?

ALSO, **IMPORTANT**: First of all, FanFiction's document thingy makes me want to cry. Meaning strike through doesn't work apparently? Which is bad cuz I used a few while writing this and it isn't showing. Just a head up.

Second of all, my top priority is archive of our own, so the chapter will always be posted there before here. Sometimes it might even take weeks before I post it here so apologies in advance. That actually happened now. Sorry.

**Timeline**:  
**1991**: October 14 - birth of Sawada Tsunayoshi  
**2002**:  
_September_ _3_ \- Tsuna's had a great fall  
_September 24_ \- Chara and Frisk wake up  
_September 29_ – events of chapter 2 aka At the Sawada Residence  
_October 1_ – events of chapter 3 aka Namimori Elementary School  
**2004**: first few events of KHR


	4. The Tutor and the Idol

**Brief chapter summary**: Frisk's first tutoring session goes as well as one might expect. The next day, they have a chat with Kyoko, finally make the connection between Kyo and Hibari, and almost get punched.

Wowie, 4 chapter in _one_ month? It's a Christmas miracle! Hehe...

This is a bit shorter than usual I think, and more like an interlude, but it also has an important plot point or two ;)

Please enjoy!

**_This is part of a double update. If you haven't read the third chapter, please do._**

**Warnings**: the usual possible OOC-ness, some swearing, mild violence, mentioned/referenced major injuries, mentions of Undertale AUs, kink mentions

. . .

"I knew you were stupid, but this exceeds my expectations," Kurokawa stared at the papers in disbelief.

"Sorry," Frisk smiled sheepishly.

"_Sorry_?" The girl turned to them with raging eyes. "Is _that_ all you have to say? I've wasted _my_ free time trying to pull your intelligence levels up to something people can classify as 'passable'. I could be doing a dozen other things right now," she waved the paper in Frisk's face, "But I'm here instead. The least you could do is scrounge up an ounce of intelligence in that empty brain of yours and fill this out correctly! I literally lectured you in this an hour ago. _How are you that stupid_?"

Frisk made a sound of protest but Kurokawa's borderline murderous glare had them shutting up.

Chara watched on, amused.

"I mean did you skip most of our classes or are you just that stupid? I knew your writing was atrocious, but I hoped you could at least write a few simple words correctly. Seriously, I can barely read this. Your handwriting is worse than Kyoko's monkey of an older brother! Look! _Look_ at this failure of a test and then look me in the eyes and tell me you can be proud of it."

Their reluctant tutor slammed the test she created onto their desk with surprising strength. Frisk stared at the red sea of zeroes, lines, exclamation points and question marks with sheepishness. Then they looked at their barely illegible handwriting.

Huh. They really _did_ suck at kanji and other such Japanese characters.

"Well…" They couldn't honestly say they were proud of it. They really couldn't. Chara snickered. "The English and Math tests are mostly correct, so you got to give me points for that."

"Ah, yes, _that_," Kurokawa ground out.

Frisk shrunk back.

"How the _flying fuck_ did you do that?"

Frisk gasped, scandalised. They glanced at Chara, "Language! There are children present!"

***I'm not a child!** The child sputtered.

Kurokawa stared at them before inhaling deeply, then slowly exhaling. She closed her eyes, "I am going to ignore that. But how did you get a 100 on that English test and a 77 on that Math test when those two subjects were your worst ones?"

"I told you before, I'm not Tsuna. I'm Frisk, an American child with a lot of time on their hands."

***Was that a…?**

"I'm good at English because I'm a native speaker. And as for Math," they shrugged, "I'm good at puzzles. They're a lot of fun, you know? I'm sure you can—"

"If the next words out of your mouth are a pun, I will eviscerate you. _Painfully_."

"Got it," Frisk gulped, making a mental note to keep the puns on the down low when around Kurokawa. Evisceration was _not_ a fun way to go, believe them. They weren't exactly keen to repeat the experience.

"Alright," she sat back down on her cushion, "So, before I tutor you in anything else, I'll have to get your kanji up to my level."

Frisk did not like the gleam in her eyes. _At all_. Their self-preservation instincts blaring, they scooted away from their tutor.

Kurokawa grinned with a hint of bloodthirst.

***Welp**, Chara clapped their hands together, nearly giving Frisk a heart attack, **it doesn't look like I'm needed here. Ciao!**

"Wai—_Chara_!" They reached out to their so-called friend desperately, but by then Chara was long gone. Frisk gulped before slowly turning to look at Kurokawa.

"Shall we begin?"

"No thank you!"

But, as per usual, what Frisk wanted was ignored and they were forced to suffer through an eternity of unwanted torture.

. . .

"What's this say?"

"Er, push the—"

"Wrong!" _Smack_.

"Ouch! Where'd you get that paper fan from? You didn't have that a minute ago!"

"A minute ago, you weren't being an idiot."

"Hey!"

"Also, your mom gave it to me."

"That _traitor_."

_Smack_.

"Don't call your mom a traitor. It's an asshole move."

"_Language_!"

. . .

It was with a downsized ego and bruised hand that Frisk returned to school. They'd thought of Kurokawa as a decent human being before their impromptu tutoring session. They were mistaken. _Extremely_ mistaken.

What did they ever do to deserve this?

***Do you want a list?** Chara asked.

Frisk held up a finger and was prepared to go on a rant about how they had no room to talk considering all that various multiverse crimes they were guilty of, but in the end they just sighed and shook their head. It wasn't worth it so early in the morning.

"I'm not in the mood for you," they said under their breath and moved through the gates.

As usual, everyone either ignored them or kept sending them glares bordering on murderous. A part of them was impressed. They've only seen Undyne level that amount of hate and disgust at them. So, coming from midgets barely in their teenage years, it was almost praise-worthy.

Today though…

They frowned, eyes scanning the loitering students and wannabe-Kusakabes who were definitely too old to be anywhere near an elementary school. Despite the occasional glare, most of the students kept their eyes on the ground and did their best to get into the school without catching one of the wannabes eyes.

They could see Chara frowning out of the corner of their eye. Seems like they noticed it too.

_Huh_. Their eyes scanned the students again. They couldn't spot Kyo anywhere. And considering there hadn't been a day where he wasn't looming above the herd of children and glaring daggers at Frisk, it made them the slightest bit nervous.

Ain't that kind of sad. After all those years of death threats, actual deaths and vague promises of torture, it was weird to go a day without any of the like.

Their eyes fell on one of the wannabes, leaning against the wall like some sort of temperamental scarecrow, arms crossed and scowling.

Chara followed their gaze and deadpanned. ***No. Absolutely not. Even I can tell that approaching one of those guys is a bad idea. And I'm **_**trash**_** at social interactions!** A pause. **Frisk. **_**Frisk**_**! Stop! **_**Don't you dare**_**.**

They ignored the hissed warnings with practiced ease, slowly making their way to the brooding teenager. Frisk couldn't get why Chara was so upset. If they did die, they could always LOAD. It's not like they'd _stay_ dead.

Chara groaned, dropping their head into their hands.

"What do you want, brat?" The teenager glowered at them, but Frisk barely batted an eyelash at the hostility. They'd experienced worse at the hands of flower.

Frisk opened their mouth to let loose a question – "Where's Kyo?" or maybe "What's got your panties in a twist?" (They've never been known for their self-preservation) – but before they could, a hand covered their mouth while another wrapped itself around their wrist.

Amber eyes widened. It was usually pretty hard to sneak up on them, what with Chara acting as a second pair of eyes. The only one who ever managed… was Sans. And, in his words, they tended to have a_** e**_..

Chara made a small sound of surprise.

Their body cringed in an unconscious effort to get as far away from their captor as possible, but the grip only tightened to near painful degrees before loosening. They tested it but couldn't break free.

They breathed in deeply and were prepared to hand control over to Chara – they would definitely deal with their captor, right? – but a cheerful voice interrupted that plan.

"We're sorry for bothering you!" And then they were being yanked along as their captor literally sprinted away from the bemused teenager. Before they knew it, they were on the other side of the courtyard, hidden behind some trees. Out of sight from any prying eyes.

Their captor let go of them, and Frisk swung around to let loose a few disapproving words. Said words died in their mouth as soon as their eyes fell on Kyoko, frowning, eyes narrowed, hands on her hips—and was that a wisp of blue in her eyes or was it just a trick of the light? Either way, she looked positively _adorable_.

"What were you thinking?" Kyoko asked, voice heavy with disappointment and concern.

"Er, I—"

***Wasn't.** Chara cut in. **They **_**weren't**_** thinking, Sunshine.**

Frisk frowned in their general direction.

Kyoko's lips pursed.

"I just wanted to ask him why he was hanging around an elementary school. He's obviously too old to be a student," they said.

Kyoko blinked, her adorably fierce expression being replaced by confusion, then realisation, and finally pity. Frisk frowned harder. They _hated_ pity.

"Ah, that's right. You… don't remember."

"Remember what?" They pressed.

"That teenager over there is a part of the Disciplinary Committee," she said. The nervous way she was wringing her skirt reminded them momentarily of Papyrus, but they bottled that memory up and tossed it into the mental box labelled 'Things To Cry About Later'.

"Disciplinary Committee? That's weird. I thought those things only existed in anime," Frisk shrugged, "Either way, shouldn't the Nami-sho DC members be, I dunno, _students of Nami-sho_? Or teachers."

Kyoko stared at them for exactly three seconds before shaking herself out of whatever thoughts she was thinking.

"I guess that would be true, in any other town. But Namimori is… different," she looked highly uncomfortable. Almost as if she wasn't comfortable with this topic.

But Frisk was never one to shy away from awkwardness, or personal trauma, or (stars forbid) Things Everyone Politely Pretended Didn't Exist. They've pushed people buttons, solved decade long feuds (stars, the edgy universe still made them groan and want to throw themself down _another_ hole), made people wail like babies because their questions and accusations hit too close to home, and pissed various Sanses off too many times to count.

"Different how?"

"Other towns have law enforcement and mayors and those sorts of people. We have… the _Hibaris_," she whispered the name as she cast nervous glances all around. Almost as if saying the name was enough to make them appear.

Frisk tilted their head. Where had they heard that before…?

***Isn't that Biting Kink with Undyne teeth?** Chara squinted.

"Oh yeah," they snapped their fingers, "Nana warned me about him. Hibari… has a biting kink, doesn't he?"

The look of frazzled confusion on Kyoko's face almost made them squeal like Mettaton, but they bravely resisted. "What's a biting kink?"

Ah. Right. Kyoko (and their own body) was still a child in Human terms and practically a baby in Monster ones. She didn't even know what sex was, judging by her expression. Frisk sometimes forgot that no other child had their level of intelligence (it was less intelligence and more like timelines of experience of them finding incriminating comics in Alphys's labs).

So, they winced and hastily said, "Forget what I said. It was a mistake."

"Um, okay," she blinked at them innocently.

***Sunshine used Innocence! It was super effective! You can feel you sins crawling on your back. **

_You're not helping, Chara_, they thought at them spitefully. But alas, their eternal partner didn't hear them.

"But Hibari-senpai does like biting people to death if they break the rules," Kyoko sounded thoughtful. "So whatever this biting kink is, maybe he _does_ have it!"

Cue sparkles, rainbows, puppies and everything nice and good in the world.

Oh dear. Frisk bit their lip but didn't correct her. They might confuse her even _more_…

Wait.

Eyes narrowing, they went over what she just said.

_But Hibari-san does like biting people to death if they break the rules._

_But Hibari-san does like _biting_ people _to death_ if they break the rules. _

_Hibari-san likes biting people to death._

_**Biting to death**__._

"Son of a butterscotch biscuit!" Their eyes widened.

"Eh?" Kyoko flinched at their sudden shout.

***What's got you so worked up—**

"Kyoko, this Hibari-san wouldn't happen to be about yay high," they gestured a few inches above their own head, "with black hair and going by the name of Kyo… Would he?"

***Oh my stars.**

Kyoko's eyes widened. "You said his name!"

"Uh… yes?"

"You can't say his name! He'll bite you to death if he hears you calling him by his name. He doesn't like it… and it's very informal of you! You aren't even friends," she scolded them lightly.

"… _yet_."

"What?" She blinked.

"What?" They echoed, beads of sweat sliding down your temple.

***Frisk, get back on track. DC. Kyo. Teenaged dude**. A pause. **Thank stars he doesn't have Undyne's teeth.**

They shuddered in unison.

"I'm fine," Frisk waved away Kyoko's concern before she could even ask, "but Chara's right. What does Kyo and his family have to do with the DC and teenagers hanging around elementary schools?"

"Chara? Well, the Hibari family is pretty important to Namimori since, um, they founded it," Frisk and Chara blinked. "That's part of the reason Hibari-senpai can get away with everything he does."

"You said 'part of the reason'," they pointed out warily. "What's the other part?"

Kyoko wringed her hands—_**GAH**_!

In Frisk's mind a chibi version of them stepped on the rattling box filled with 'Things To Cry About Later'. A memory tried to resurge but they ignored it with no small amount of effort on their part.

"I don't know what happened really, but a year or two ago the DC was just a small gang of teenagers that 'ruled' over Nami-chuu. And then Hibari-senpai happened," she shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Next thing everyone knows, the teenagers are enforcing the Hibari rules and laws and anyone who steps out of line gets bitten to death by Hibari-senpai. And he's bitten a lot of people to death. I've never been but my onii-chan has. It's… not pretty."

***Ah. So, an Edgy Papyrus situation**. Chara nodded sagely. **You still want to make friends with him?**

"I'm already halfway there," they reassured them. "I can feel it in my _**bones**_."

The pun went over Kyoko's head, but it had Chara groaning.

"Um," Kyoko looked concerned. For Frisk? How sweet. They resisted the urge to coo and bundle this little sunshine child up and hide her away from the cruel reality of life.

"Don't worry about it," they said. "So, that teen back there was a DC member? He didn't look that scary to me. He looked like a Kusakabe-wannabe to me…" they trailed off with dawning realisation. "Kusakabe is a DC member too?"

"He's their second-in-command. Hibari-senpai is the chairman, even though he still attends Nami-sho. I've heard he has a secret base in Nami-chuu too. And don't be rude, Frisk-kun, it's Kusakabe-_san_."

That sounded like Edgy Papyrus. Unbridled, a small smile appeared on Frisk's face.

***Are the pompadours a dress code or is it a personal preference? **Chara mused. **Mettaton would have an aneurysm.**

"Anyways, that still doesn't explain why the Kusakabe-wannabes are sulking like that," they said.

Kyoko's face fell. She looked at the ground with a heavy frown, concern and disapproval shining in her eyes. "Hana-chan said that last night… two of the members got into a fight with someone and… they lost," Frisk didn't know why their breath hitched or why the hair at the back of their neck raised, but what they _did_ know was that it wasn't a good omen.

"Are they okay?" They asked in a quiet voice.

"They're in the hospital," Kyoko sounded sad and _angry_, "whoever they picked a fight with hurt them to the point they almost _died_. They shouldn't have been fighting at all! They're just kids, like us, like onii-chan. Adults get hurt when they fight and they're a lot bigger and stronger than kids. What was Hibari-senpai thinking, having kids barely older that us fighting against gangsters who've k-killed before?"

"You don't like fighting," Frisk said because it was pretty obvious. They didn't like fighting either.

"I don't," Kyoko agreed. "Do you?"

"I'm a pacifist," they bit their lip. Was it even true anymore, after everything they did? After all the genocides, the desperate fights in edgy 'verse, and the countless alternate versions of Sans who tried their level best to poke them full of holes as soon as they caught sight of their striped sweaters… Could they even call themself a 'pacifist' anymore?

"What does pacifist mean?" Kyoko tilted her head.

Frisk opened their mouth to answer but hesitated. "It's what you call a person who doesn't like violence and war. They're peaceful."

"Then I'm a pacifist too," she nodded. Then, after a moment's pause, said to them, "Please don't go bothering Hibari-senpai or any of the DC right now. You'll get hurt and I don't want you too… especially with what…" she trailed off.

Nonetheless, Frisk understood what she was getting at. Tsuna's – _their_ – 'accident'. Kyoko was worried about them getting hurt again.

A coy smile spread on their lips. "So, you're worried about me, huh?"

"Un!" Kyoko nodded fiercely. The smile turned into a grin.

"If I don't bother Kyo or the Kusakabe-wannabes… will you, perhaps as a reward, give me a k—_**GHACK**_!" Something solid hit buried itself into Frisk's stomach, knocking the breath and whatever they were going to say right out of them.

They crumpled.

"Frisk-kun!"

A familiar scoff, followed by an even more familiar drawl. "Don't worry about the monkey, Kyoko. They'll be fine." … "Don't look at me like that! They were being a stupid monkey so they deserved it."

That was fair.

"Still! That was really mean, Hana-chan! What if you really hurt Frisk-kun?" Kyoko placed one of her tiny hands on their back, rubbing soothing circles into the muscles. Not that it would help, but the thought made their SOUL warm.

"Meh. They have pretty thick skin so they should be fine," they peeled open a watering eye. Kurokawa loomed over them, a hand in her skirt pocket while another was holding her school back. Was that what she nailed them with?

Why didn't Chara warn them?

They cast a betrayed stare at their best friend/demonic stowaway. Chara shrugged. ***You deserved it.**

_Why?_

***Because you're a terrible flirt**. And they left it at that.

"Frisk-kun, are you okay?" Their heart melted at Kyoko's genuine concern. She truly was too good for humanity.

"Yeah, are you?" Kurokawa, on the other hand, was everything _but_ genuine. She stood there, proudly smirking.

"No, I'm not," Frisk confessed as they turned back to Kyoko, "but I will be if you kis—"

Kurokawa shoved them over with her foot, ignoring their squawk of outrage, and pulled Kyoko up to her feet. "C'mon, let's go or we'll be late. The bell's going to ring any second now."

"What about Frisk-kun?"

Kurokawa paused. "… Let's le—" she took one look at her friend's face and sighed, suffering. "Fine. Here," she held out of a hand and Kyoko did the same.

Frisk sniffed but took the offered hands. With the help of their tutor and friend(?) they were pulled to their feet. Ignoring the ache in their abdomen, they tried their best to get the dirt off their uniform. That was a failure.

They could hear the bell ringing.

"Ah, shi—" Kurokawa cut herself off after a glance at Kyoko.

"Hana-chan!" Kyoko yelped.

"Language," Frisk half-heartedly said.

A second of silence—

"C'mon, let's go. The monkeys are distracted so sneaking past them will be easier than usual."

"Really?" While Frisk was a master at getting into places more or less undetected, they doubted the two human girls had their level of skill.

But apparently, they did. The three of them somehow, against all odds, managed to sneak right passed the sulking Kusakabe-wannabes without getting caught.

*****_**How**_**.**

Frisk shrugged as the three of them (plus a ghost) walked (floated) the rest of the way to the classroom. No one was in halls, so walking _through_ the school was considerably easier than getting _into_ it.

Before they knew it, they were at their classroom doors.

. . .

_Later that evening..._

**RING RING RI—**

**CLICK.**

"They're really stupid, oji-san."

"Good evening to you too."

"And they're _constantly flirting with Kyoko_."

"Ah… Kyoko. Your territory?"

"…"

"Hm, I appreciate you keeping an eye on them."

"Humph. You better, oji-san." … "Whatever's wrong with them, it definitely isn't MPD."

"I know."

"… So why did…? Nevermind, I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight, Hana-chan."

"Yeah, yeah, night."

A muffled thump. "Hana-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Sano-san just informed me that it's 3 in the morning."

"Right…"

"Go to sl—"

**CLICK.**

. . .

**Kyoko**: Hi! *sparkles*  
**Frisk**: Hi cutie pie.  
**Chara**: The pan is strong in this one.

I've spent the past couple of days going through Undertale second person fics out of sheer boredom and let me tell you, the number of times I nearly typed 'you' instead of 'they' while writing this chapter is embarrassing.

Also, while writing this chapter I have learned that I am absolute _shit_ at writing children at it shows. Frisk, sure. Hibari, a bit of a problem but he's always been an animalistic little shit so I can manage. But Kyoko and Hana? Well, you've seen how this chapter turned out.

Also, I'm too lazy to put that timeline thing here rn, so just know that the tutoring session is a day after last chapter and the rest of this chapter is on… Wednesday, I think?

Meh.

Happy holidays!

Also, as a PS, most of my author notes (written before this paragraph) are written on Ao3 and I just copy-paste it here without double checking it. If you see some inconsistencies or otherwise, well, you'll know why. Happy New Years!


	5. Surprises

**Brief chapter summary**: Frisk and Chara deal with bullies the usual way, meet Yamamoto Takeshi, and receive a familiar gift. Meanwhile, Nana's passive-aggressiveness makes an appearance.

**Warnings**: the usual possibility of OOC-ness and everything else, mild violence this time, bullying, misgendering,

. . .

In all honesty, Frisk totally forgot about Tsuna's bullies.

It wasn't their fault! _They're_ the ones who've been avoiding Frisk like the plague ever since they returned to school. Sure, other kids glare and ignore them but otherwise they don't do anything. So, it simply… slipped their mind. Especially when one took into account that Frisk was busy with other things.

Namely the hellish tutoring sessions and getting used to their new body.

(The first time Frisk went to the bathroom was embarrassing and will _never_ be mentioned from here on out. Whenever Chara teases them about it, Frisk burrows their face into their hands and lets out a dying noise.)

It wasn't as though Kurokawa was a horrible person, she was just… _passionate_ about getting them up to speed. They appreciated her help, really, they did, but in Frisk's humble opinion the girl should use the paper fan less. Seriously, they gained _so many_ bruises over the course of two weeks. It wasn't even funny, no matter what Chara said.

(Frisk, the Saviour of Monsters, cowering under a paper fan-wielding little girl. Who would've thought?)

(In another universe Sans was probably laughing at them. That ketchup smelling butthole.)

On a somewhat related note, Frisk's handwriting improved enough that Kurokawa deemed it acceptable. Of course, it still looked like a particularly stupid five year old wrote it… but progress! Kurokawa even smacked them less and less as they days went by, reluctantly proud with their improvement.

Frisk was thankful that the teachers ignored them and didn't give them any tests to complete. English and maths would've been fine, but the other subjects? It's going to be a pain dragging Tsuna's already terrible grades up to an acceptable standard even without adding their own ones to the pile.

But they knew that would come to an end soon. Frisk gave it until the end of the month while Chara guessed before that. The latter didn't think the human adults would be _that_ cruel, but the ghost simply shrugged claiming it was what their intuition said.

As it turns, Chara was right.

The day stared off normally enough.

Chara woke Frisk up at the ungodly hour of 7AM and wouldn't let them return to sleep.

***If I'm incapable of sleep then I can sure as hell make sure **_**you**_** don't sleep more than the necessary amount a human needs to survive**. Chara, that hellspawn masquerading as a child, giggled and floated out of their reach.

Frisk groaned in response and burrowed their head into their fluffy pillow, hoping Chara would take the hint and leave.

School started in an hour and if they sprinted, they'd make it just before the bell rang. Kyo would, as per usual, level a truly murderous glare in their direction but before he could 'bite them to death' for some fictional misdemeanour, some unruly 'herbivores' would catch his attention and he'd be distracted with that for the following half hour. And then Frisk would spend the rest of the day avoiding him, even going as far as jumping out of the window when they caught sight of his billowing jacket.

(They almost gave Kyoko a heart attack the first time they did it in her view. Luckily for everyone's sanity, it was only the first floor so the girl remained oblivious to the fact that Frisk had indeed been in real danger of breaking their neck before. Frisk managed to convince her that it was a one-time ordeal and that they'd never do it again.)

(Ten minutes later they jumped out of a second floor window and clung to a tree like a koala. When they got down, they were suddenly face to face with Kurokawa, who looked decidedly unimpressed. The girl then gripped their shoulder tightly and told them, in a deceptively pleasant tone of voice, that if Kyoko ever found out they lied to her, they would die.)

(Meanwhile, the rest of Nami-sho were left wondering _what the fuck_ was wrong with Dame-Tsuna.)

(Soon enough, Frisk's new nickname of Crazy-Tsuna spread like wildfire.)

Idly, Frisk wondered when their luck would run out and Kyo would catch on to their tactics. They could barely hold back the grin at that thought.

You see, Frisk has met people like Kyo before. The original Undyne and Edgy Papyrus to name a few. Those types of people had to acknowledge your strength before even thinking of becoming your friend. Well, sometimes Frisk exchanged strength for compassion and mercy, but it was relatively the same. So, to make friends with Kyo _he'd_ have to approach _them_ first, even if it was only to 'bite them to death'. After that, the only thing Frisk had to do was dodge until they tired him out with their endless flirting, offers of friendship and crappy puns.

Fun fact: this tactic worked on countless unsuspecting Monsters before. Though usually not without a few brutal deaths on Frisk's part.

(Fun fact number 2: Frisk severely underestimated Hibari Kyoya and his… _everything_.)

Frisk gave a mental shrug and cuddled their pillow closer. It would work out one or another—

***Stop daydreaming about forcibly befriending Kyo and wake up already, Frisk!** Chara's whine made their head throb. Frisk groaned and covered their head with the covers, but Chara was nothing if not determined. **I'm bored, Frisk. Entertain me, Frisk. Let's go annoy the brat, Frisk. Wake up, Frisk. Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake—**

"I'm up, I'm up! Just stop with the whining already, it's hurting my ears," Frisk sat up only to be greeted by Chara's very satisfied grin. They threw a pillow at Chara which earned them a squawk, even though the pillow went through.

They glanced at the alarm clock which read—

A shriek left Frisk's mouth as they jumped out of bed. Or tried to, at least. Their legs became tangled in the sheets and they struggled to untangle them, falling face first onto the carpet instead. For a whole thirty seconds they just laid there unmoving until they lifted their head.

"Chara, it's almost 7:30. Why didn't you wake me up?" They asked sadly.

They shrugged unconcerned, but the schadenfreude was apparent in their eyes. ***I tried. Not my fault you were being a brat. **

Frisk pointed at them and said, "I hate you."

Chara shrugged. ***Join the club.**

They squinted at the ghost with concern, but brushed it off and painstakingly began to separate themself from the covers.

After that it was a mad scramble to get dressed and ready for school. They stumbled down the stairs, almost tripping and ending their life via staircase if it weren't for the timely interference of Chara.

***Do you know how embarrassing it would be for me if your first death here was because of your own damn clumsiness?** They grumbled when Frisk thanked them.

"Language," they said reflexively. In a rare moment of maturity Chara stuck their tongue out at them.

They ran into the kitchen while stumbling all the way and greeted Nana with a cheery 'good morning', grabbed a slice of toast and bolted.

"Ah, Frisk-kun I wanted—"

Frisk rudely closed the door before she could finish and sprinted down the road, somehow managing not to choke on toast. Because if they died by choking on toast, Chara would kill them in a fit of hysterical rage.

They experienced some guilt at not staying long enough for Nana to finish whatever she was planning on saying, but squashed it down. They'd apologise and make it up to her later.

Ten minutes of sprinting later, Frisk wanted to keel over and die. Tsuna's body was not suited for sprinting, or any kind of sport, really. Which sucked because they had enjoyed running around in their original body.

And so what if half the time they were running away from murderous Monsters and Humans hellbent on their destruction? That didn't make it _not-fun_.

The looming gates of Nami-sho were in view. If they currently weren't running for their life they would've cried happy tears, but they were so _that_ was saved for later. According to the giant clock on the school wall, Frisk still had thirty seconds to spare.

And then they spotted their Kyo standing in the middle of entrance.

Suddenly, those happy tears they wanted to let loose changed into something much less happy.

***Oh shit**, Chara breathed out which earned them an automatic "Language!" courtesy of Frisk. **You're screwed.**

"I still have 20 seconds!" Frisk cried out breathlessly as they zoomed by a – dare they say it – _startled_ Kyo.

"Herbivore—" They resolutely ignored the near animalistic growl that came from their soon-to-be friend. It would've been more threatening it he wasn't five foot nothing and prettier than some of the girls they'd seen.

Oh well, he'd grow.

(Years later, as Frisk stared at the glowering form of their Cloud Guardian, they thought with dawning horror, _oh no, he __**grew**_.)

For a split second Frisk wondered where on earth he had picked his quirks up from, but chalked it up to a human thing.

The bell rang the very _second_ they set their foot in the school. They slowed down and breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the terrified and pained screams of the late goers that rose up behind them.

"He reminds me of Edgy Pap," they smiled serenely. "I can't wait to be his friend."

Chara watched them despairingly. Why must they be stuck with such an _idiot_?

. . .

Four periods later, Frisk found themselves staring at a Mathematics test with befuddlement. They could've sworn the teachers wouldn't give them any tests this soon after their 'miraculous recovery'…

They looked up at their teacher, ready to protest, but one look at him made them falter. He stared directly at them with a small, maliciously pleased smile on his face.

Oh.

_Oh_.

Frisk forgot that adults could be bullies too.

They held their pen in a white-knuckled grip as they grounded their teeth together. Some of their classmates giggled.

"Oi, sensei," Kurokawa called out. Frisk's respect for her immediately rose. "Why are you giving Sawada a test? I still haven't caught them up on everything they missed."

The teacher shrugged, "I don't see any point continuing this farce. It's not like Dame-Tsuna would've understood the material anyway. Besides, I need some grades from him too."

Back in Frisk's old town when any of their classmates missed a few weeks of school because of medical reasons, the teachers let that student catch up at their own pace and waited for them to decide when they were ready to fill out the tests they missed.

For any other student, this teacher would've let them have at least until the end of October to catch up.

But Frisk was 'Dame-Tsuna'.

The student bullied by not only the students, but by the teachers too.

Frisk's eyes narrowed while Chara seethed from their position above them. And don't think they didn't catch him using the wrong pronoun…

"That's not nice, sensei," another student spoke up before Frisk could do something utterly inappropriate (they would've definitely flirted the teacher into submission, don't think they wouldn't). Frisk recognised him as the student who welcomed them back. "Sawada's agender, you know. And they're really trying to catch up too!" He laughed a bit at the end, ever present smile still on his face, but it wasn't malicious.

Frisk frowned. There was something off about that smile…

The rest of the class, besides the obvious exceptions, burst into loud laughs. Even that butthole of a teacher let a few chuckles slip.

***What an asshole.**

This time they didn't reprimand the eternal child.

Instead, they smiled pleasantly. The laughter died down.

***Oh no… **

"Okie-dokie, sensei," they chirped cheerfully, "I'll do the test but really, I'd much rather do you."

Did they come on a bit too strong? Yes. Did he deserve it? _Absolutely_.

Dead silence filled the classroom as the students and teachers processed Frisk's words.

When it finally registered, Chara made a mortified sound as they curled into a ball mid-air. Hana choked on her own spit and slammed her head down on the table. Most of the students looked confused, Kyoko and nice boy included, but some looked disgusted. The teacher had turned a very interesting shade of red as he gaped at them.

"I—uh—um—you—just—do—_**no**_—_focus_ on the test," he choked out as he collapsed in his chair, staring blankly at the wall like his whole life had been turned upside down by a small child flirting with him.

Frisk shrugged and did as he said. It seems like _someone_ didn't get flirted with often. How sad. If he continued to be a butthole, he'd have to get used to their passive-aggressive flirting.

At least it was a maths test. They were more or less good at numbers, thank Papyrus and Alphys and Mettaton and all those other Monsters who decided puzzles were the best way to kill/capture a human child.

They stared down at the test and blinked – fractions and decimals? Frisk could do this in their sleep. They almost felt cheated. Kurokawa's mock-tests were harder than this and she was _their age_.

(One must never forget that Frisk essentially grew up around era-defining geniuses like Sans and Alphys who practically breathed SCIENCE! like it was air itself. Even Papyrus, as naïve as he was, could cook up a few brilliant ideas and puzzles whenever inspiration hit.)

(So yeah, their mathematical skills were a _bit_ above the average twelve year old's.)

(However, just like any other child Frisk was impatient and loved to have tests behind them than in front of them. So they tended to make a lot of mistakes by not reading the problem to the finish or simply forgetting to complete it.)

They shrugged and got to it. The sooner they finished the test the better. It'll at least distract them from their unexplainable need to kick the teacher's shins. But Frisk wouldn't do that, because they are a _pacifist_ dammit.

. . .

The lesson ended and the students handed their tests back in. The teacher looked surprised when Frisk handed in theirs _completed_.

They left the room for lunch and headed down to the courtyard, Chara spitting curses and threats the whole way. It was a nice day outside and who knows how long nice days like these would last, what with winter right around the corner.

Frisk sighed and looked up at the sky. No clouds today. That was a shame. Over the course of one of the timelines they had become a huge fan of stargazing and cloud watching. There was just something about discerning their shapes and creating epic stories that delighted Frisk.

They found a nice secluded spot right under a tree and—

Oh.

In their hurry they had forgotten to grab their bento. No wonder Nana shouted at them.

***Sucks to be you.** Chara, being an immortal ghost-demon-thing that had no need for food and thus never tasted the divinity that was Nana's cooking, jeered.

Frisk's shoulders slumped but they mustered a smile at their life-long companion. "You're just jealous you can't eat Nana's food."

They scoffed and crossed their arms. ***As if I **_**wanted**_** to taste that pathetic human's cooking! It's probably trash and you can't taste it because your standards have been skewed by Papyrus's – and that one Sans too now that I think about it – cooking.**

They shuddered in union at that lovely reminder. Sometimes, Frisk still had nightmares filled with overcooked-yet-undercooked pasta sprinkled with glitter, glass, cheese, meatballs and those stars-forsaken flower petals. Though Flowey's expression after learning of the last ingredient fuelled their non-existent Patronus for timelines to come.

And don't get them started on the tacos.

Frisk sighed and leaned against the tree, deciding that naps were a brilliant way to spend lunch breaks when one was _**sans**_ lunch.

***My pun-senses are tingling**, Chara eyed them suspiciously. **Did you make a pun?**

"Me? Never," a grin pulled at their lips, "but it I did, it would be _**humerus**_, no doubt about it."

Chara looked seconds away from wrapping their tiny hands around Frisk's neck and squeezing but before they could, someone else attempted to kick the human child.

***Frisk, left!** With no hesitation, their partner complied by lurching their body to the side and rolling into a crouched position. Their eyes slid half-open into their usual expression as a frown tugged at their lips.

The perpetrator was a boy, maybe a year older than their body, with a forgetful appearance and a surprised expression.

Frisk bit back a smile. He shouldn't have attacked them without expecting them to _dodge_. They were the Dodge Master (Sans could attest to that) and while half of it was thanks to Chara, the other half was _all_ Frisk and their reflexes.

"Well, that was rude," they said pleasantly, "You could've simply called my name if you wanted to get my intention."

The boy's face turned red. "Shut up, Dame-Tsuna!"

The courtyard went quiet. That's when Frisk noticed the other boys standing behind him. There were five boys in total, the boy who tried to kick them included.

Frisk glanced around the courtyard, wondering if anyone would interfere, but no one did. They all stood there, some whispering, others looking on gleefully, some looking almost concerned, but their eyes fell on the classmate that defended them earlier. Nice boy looked like he wanted to interfere – at least say something – but something held him back.

Their eyes met and he looked away, expression twisting.

Huh. So maybe nice boy wasn't all that nice after all.

Not that they could blame him. A normal kid would hesitate to go up against older boys to defend someone, let alone a group of older boys. Nice boy had good survival instincts apparently, which was something Frisk lacked.

Their eyes zeroed in on a teacher minutely, accusing and dangerous, but the teacher simply stood there and did nothing to interfere.

"No one's gonna help you, Dame-Tsuna, so don't bother begging," the first boy called out, "After all you're a no-good, useless loser with no friends." His eyes narrowed. "It's a shame you didn't die when I pushed you down the stairs. The suspension would've been worth it then. But me and my pals got suspended and _you_ somehow lived. How's that fair?"

Oh. So these were the brats that killed Tsuna. And this one just pseudo-confessed to his murder! Not a shred of remorse anywhere on his face.

Something in Frisk snapped.

"Hey Hiro, _I_ heard that a few screws got knocked loose," a second boy grinned mockingly, "Thinks he's someone else and hears voices in his head."

"What a loser!" A third boy laughed and the others joined in.

The kids could at least try to be more creative, but it served its purpose in making Frisk's blood boil.

"Hah!" Hiro scoffed. "He should've done us all a favour and died instead. It's not like anyone would've cared anyway. His mother would've been happy to not have such a useless son anymore."

That was _false_. Anyone with eyes could see that Nana loved her son more than anyone else. Tsuna's death would've _shattered_ her if Frisk's wasn't here to fill the void.

"Everyone here would've been happy," a fourth boy grumbled. Frisk recognised him as one of their classmates. "He's causing the class average to drop which is really annoying to explain to my mom. She'd been heckling me for weeks before he fell, and then it worsened when I got suspended. She even took away my video games!"

"That sucks," the second boy grimaced.

"Hey guys," the fifth and final boy said with a grin. "Why don't we show Dame-Tsuna here how much we _want_ him here?"

That suggestion made the other boys light up, all breaking out into grins. They turned to the still crouched form of Frisk with clear intentions.

The child simply stood up, brushing dirt off their trousers and jacket with a weary hand. They buried their anger and hate and bloodlust deep in their psyche, because violence would solve nothing here except to get them into detention. The teacher over there would gladly watch Frisk be beat up but would most likely step in as soon as they retaliated.

And no, no matter how compelling Chara's ideas of murder and mayhem were, they wouldn't give over control.

"I think," they said slowly in a soft voice, "that on beautiful days like these, when the sun is shining and the birds are singing… kids like you should be _**burning in hell**_."

They channelled their inner Sans and sent them a grin filled with teeth, their usual blank sereneness gone.

The air around them warmed to startling degrees, but Frisk hardly noticed.

Hiro and his friends recoiled, eyes widening at the sudden display of hostility. So did the surrounding students and teachers, but they didn't pay them any mind.

But then the grin changed into something softer, calmer, as Frisk said, "But since I'm so nice, I'll simply educate you on some important things."

Hiro's face reddened even more, "As if a dame like you could teach me anything!" He shouted before rushing at them like a reckless idiot.

Frisk sidestepped and stuck out a leg, making it as discreet and casual as possible. Hiro predictably tripped over it, landing face first on the grass with his legs in the air.

"First, my name is Frisk and I am agender," they told him pleasantly, fingers laced behind their back. They leaned forward to peer down at the embarrassed boy. "Which means I am neither a boy nor a girl, _so use the correct pronouns_."

How hard was it to understand gender held no importance to them?

Hiro scowled and lunged at them. Frisk twirled out of his reach with laughable ease, all too used to much faster and more vicious opponents than whatever Hiro was supposed to be.

When they tripped a bit at the end of their twirl, they simply frowned and sent a grateful look towards Chara for catching them. They straightened themself and looked in Hiro's direction. "You wouldn't like it if I referred to you as a girl or something besides what you are, would you? Think of how I feel. Geez…"

"Who cares what you think, Dame-Tsuna?" Boy number 2 scowled and ran, raising his fist to punch them in the face. "You're called 'dame' for a _reason_!"

Frisk ducked under the swing. "Second, I'm not _crazy_ you thoughtless boy. According to Kobayashi, I have – let me dumb it down for you – multiple personalities. Namely me, AKA Frisk, and there's also Chara. You should be glad I'm not—" they clumsily rolled out of the way of his kick, mildly offended he didn't let them finish, "—letting them take over. They want to do some probably illegal stuff against you."

***6 o'clock**, Chara said.

It seemed as tough the bullies decided to beat them up with teamwork. It would've worked if Frisk wasn't Frisk.

They sidestepped the boy and let him collide with the second one who let out a startled yelp. Frisk grimaced because it looked like it hurt, but they had no time to sympathise.

"Third, you're all assholes," the curse was enough to make everyone pause and gape. Chara clutched at their chest like they were having a heart attack.

***Did my ears deceive me or did you actually **_**swear**_**?** They sounded awed.

"Bullying a kid like Tsuna – who seemed like a sweet guy from what I gleamed – to the point where you nearly killed him? Not cool. _Very_ not cool. Not to mention everything you just said is _beyond_ horrible, you tiny sociopaths-in-training. If anyone should be dead, it's _you_," their voice went dark and cold.

***I can make that happen~** Chara sang. **Just. Hand over. Control already, **_**partner**_**.**

While the offer was tempting, they didn't want a genocide. They simply wanted the boys to rethink their lives and probably get run over by a car. Maybe twice. Three times _just to be sure_.

"You _freak_!" One of the boys spat before throwing a stick at them. Frisk was so surprised they actually let it him them in the face. It didn't hurt, not really, it just stung.

They levelled a look at him that screamed 'Really!?'. He flushed bright red.

But it was enough to distract them from the other boys. Two arms encircled their stomach as they went down, the breath literally knocked out of them. Two chubby fists kept hitting anywhere they could get to, mainly their head and back, as a voice continued to spit insults at them.

They struggled blindly for a few seconds at the unexpected turn of events (okay so small children could be vicious and strong, who knew?). Multiple someones laughed as another boy kicked their shoulder, making Frisk see _red_.

Grabbing the punching hands by the wrists, they tugged until the boy was sprawled on them. Then they rolled, and if they elbowed him in the ribs, then it was an accident. The second time was an accident too. They sat up on his stomach and reluctantly enjoyed his choking noise.

They ducked under a kick aimed at their head and swiped the other boy's legs out from underneath him. They stood up.

"That," they ground out behind a serene smile, face bruised and dirty from dirt, "wasn't very nice, was it?"

***Duck.**

They ducked and tackled Hiro in response. The boy went down with a shriek, they followed. They grabbed him by his wrists before he could punch them and not-so-accidentally jerked a little. Hiro choked and groaned at their weight being roughly deposited on his stomach.

"I wonder… Should I throw _you_ down the stairs?" They hissed as red eyes bore down into Hiro's own brown ones. Terror and uncertainty filled them as he took in the position he and his pals were in.

"You wouldn't," he said.

"Chara would," they said. "And after everything that just happened, maybe I should let them. It'd be revenge for Tsuna."

It'd definitely be satisfying to watch his head crack open as blood and brain spilled out, even if they had to LOAD immediately after.

"You'd get in trouble," he said but it sounded uncertain.

"So? I'd only get suspended for—what? Four weeks?" they mocked.

"You—You red eyed freak!" He sputtered and started to struggle.

Frisk sighed and prepared to educate him on why calling other people 'freaks' was a _big_ no-no, when what he said registered.

_Red eye? Oh._

Stars-dammit.

"Chara, I'd appreciate it if you stopped influencing me," they warned their gleefully grinning friend. No wonder they had acted so… _violently_ and said such things. They tended to forget that even if they didn't allow Chara to possess them, the ghost child could still influence their actions and bring their darkest emotions to the forefront.

***Don't know what you're talking about, **_**partner**_**.**

Frisk sighed, knowing they wouldn't get anywhere with them. They stood up after letting the boy go and backed a few steps away. Their shoulder throbbed along with their head and back, but it wasn't anything Frisk couldn't ignore. A grimace appeared on their face. Explaining this to Nana was going to be a _pain_.

"I suggest that you leave me alone for the foreseeable future. If you don't…" Frisk shrugged nonchalantly, "whatever happens next will be on you."

_Next time I'll sic Chara on you heathens_, the thought was filled with spite. _Screw the repercussions_.

Hiro looked seconds away from lunging at them, but before he could a teacher stormed in their direction. It wasn't the one who was standing there staring, it was someone else who just noticed what all the commotion was about.

***Oh **_**shit**_**.**

"Language," they whispered as they stared at the furious teacher warily.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, how dare you?" She thundered after taking in the downed boys and rounding on Frisk.

"Okay, first of all, my name is _Frisk_. I swear to Asriel the next person who calls me Tsuna will get flirted into submission," they held up a finger. "And second of all; how dare I what? Fight back? Was I supposed to just stand there and let the brat squad beat me up? In case you've forgotten, _they_ are the reason I was in the hospital."

Frisk enjoyed the teacher's flinch at that reminder.

"Besides, they're the ones who tried to beat _me_ up. The most I did was dodge and pin Hiro to the ground. Out of everyone here, _I'm_ the most injured. Anyone here can confirm what I just said."

***But will they?** Chara stared at the surrounding students angrily.

"Uh," the teacher shook her head and turned to other students. "Is what he—"

"They," Frisk said.

In her defence, they teacher didn't so much as miss a beat. "—they said true?"

The students shifted and started muttering amongst themselves, none willing to help 'Dame-Tsuna' get out of trouble. That is, except for one.

"Yeah, it is," nice boy stepped forward with an easy-going grin, his fingers laced behind his head. "Senpai and his friends wanted to beat Sawada up, but Sawada kept dodging and twirling out of the way. But then one of the boys tacked them and started to punch and kick them. Sawada got out though and pinned senpai to the ground."

"_Takeshi_!" One of nice boy's – Takeshi? – friends hissed and tried to pull him back, but he stubbornly stayed where he was.

"I see," the teacher frowned and sent a dark look at the suddenly nervous boys. "You five, come with me to the principal's office. Sawada-kun," she paused, "I will be calling you mother about this incident. You're not in trouble, but next time this happens go get a teacher instead of dealing with it on your own."

Frisk clenched their fist. They didn't have a _choice_. For stars sake, a teacher wouldn't have helped them deal with this! One literally stood there and watched as the boys tried to beat them up and he did _nothing_.

Instead of voicing their thoughts, they smiled a smile filled with teeth, "I'll do that next time."

The teacher appeared visibly unnerved by their grin but nevertheless dragged the five bullies away. They could hear her scolding them.

"By the way," they said to the boy after the teacher was out of sight, "thanks."

Takeshi smiled. "No problem, Sawada! Be more careful next time, 'kay?"

"I'll do my best," they returned the smile with one of their own. Takeshi paused and stared for a moment before shaking his head and grinning.

"I'm Yamamoto Takeshi by the way. Like I said before, welcome back. Even though people haven't been very…" He trailed off.

"Nice?" Frisk quirked a grin.

The boy nodded eagerly. "That's one way to put it, I guess." He laughed.

The sound didn't seem all that genuine…

***Be careful**, Chara scowled. **There's something **_**off**_** about him.**

"Oh, and please call me Frisk," while they didn't mind their new surname, their name would always be Frisk and nothing else.

"Then feel free to call me Takeshi!" He beamed at them.

***Ugh, another smiley trashbag…** Chara groaned in horror.

"I hope we get along well, Takeshi," their eyes fell shut with the force of their smile.

Takeshi returned it with an equal amount of cheerfulness. "Sure! But I gotta go now. I still haven't eaten lunch and oyaji will kill me if he finds out. See you later, Sa—Frisk!"

With that, Yamamoto Takeshi sped of to his waiting friends. They immediately started talking to him – scolding him from the looks of it – but he just laughed it off and snatched his bento from one of his friends.

Frisk watched on as a small frown creased their forehead. Takeshi seemed like a perfectly ordinary, if not overly cheerful, boy. They would love to be his friend. He even reminded them of Kyoko with all his smiles and all round kindness. And yet…

… _why are his smiles so fake?_

. . .

Nana sighed. She'd just gotten off the phone with one of her darling s—child's teachers. Apparently, some boys picked a fight with them and they retaliated. The teacher had warned her that if this happened again, the school wouldn't be so lenient.

She walked into the hallway and stared at the years-old picture of her wonderful family. She traced the lines of her husband's face with a tender finger, a small smile appearing on her lips before fading away. Pulling back, she instead turned to face the tiny Tsuna in the picture.

A dreamy sigh left her lips. Oh how she missed that Tsuna! The Tsuna that told her everything, the Tsuna that didn't trip over his own two feet and bring home terrible grades, the Tsuna that didn't come home with a bruised face and a limp every few days…

Even though, she missed that 'no-good' Tsuna as well.

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. But it was her own fault she lost him, wasn't it? If only she payed more attention and didn't chalk his bruises and meekness down to 'boys being boys'… Then maybe her sweet Tsuna would still be around and there wouldn't be a stranger wearing his skin.

When she got the phone call detailing her precious son's so-called accident, she made her way to the hospital in record timing. When she heard of her son's comatose state, she broke down. And then finally, when he woke up, she was delighted.

At least, up until the moment he—no, they spoke. Whatever woke up in her son's place wasn't Tsuna, yet it also was. That person reminded them of the Tsuna-that-was, the one before her husband's and his boss's visit. And yet there was something about Frisk she couldn't put her finger on, something _unnatural_…

She should've called her darling Iemitsu then. Because he surely would've made Frisk disappear and Tsuna reappear… right? But she didn't. Did she know why? No, but still… something held her back from calling Iemitsu after Tsuna—Frisk woke up.

Maybe it Frisk themself, or maybe it was the way Iemitsu hung up on her while she was trying to tell him their son was in a coma.

"_Honey, Tsuna is—"_

"_Uh, sorry Nana, I have to go. Duty calls! Say hi to my little 'Tuna-fishy', okay? Tell him papa loves him lots!"_

"_Iemit—" __**CLICK**__._

She inhaled roughly and glared at the wall. With the way he acted, Iemitsu didn't deserve to know what happened to his son.

"Since he didn't let me tell him," she said under her breath, "then he should find out on his goddamn own. It'll serve him right for keeping secrets from me…"

Because she definitely heard gunshots during that very short call. Last time she checked, construction workers weren't supposed to be anyway near gunfire. Unless they weren't construction workers… But that would be silly. Her husband wouldn't lie to her, would he?

… For now, she'd give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I'm home!" Nana 'eep'-ed when she heard her sweet Frisk's voice shout out into the silent house. She must've been pretty deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice them opening the door.

"Ah, welcome home, Frisk-kun! Chara-kun too, if you're there," she turned around with a welcoming smile. The situation was weird and she still didn't fully understand it, but for her child (children?) she would try.

"Yeah, they're here. They said 'hi'," Frisk waved as they toed off their shoes. That was when Nana noticed the bruises on their face and the tense way they held themself, along with the very smug and satisfied expression.

Concerned, they spoke up, "Are you okay? Your school called me about a fight…"

"I'm fine," they definitely sounded pleased, "it was just a small altercation. Nothing big. They won't be bothering me again though."

"Still," she bit her lip. Frisk walked over to her. "Next time, go to a teacher instead of dealing with it by yourself. You won't get hurt that way."

Frisk's sour expression at her advice was totally uncalled for and very confusing. "Alright then," they said but they sounded unconvinced. Nana wondered why that was.

"Oh, and you forgot your lunch today!" She placed her hands on her hips and frowned very disapprovingly. Frisk winced, amber eyes – _so unlike Tsu-kun's_ – widening. "Be more careful next time. Do you want to starve?"

"It was fine. Kyoko gave me an onigiri and Kurokawa gave me some of her food too. More or less willingly…"

"What?" What did her child mean by 'more or less'?! She's met their tutor a few times when the girl was over and she didn't seem like the _sharing_ type.

"What?" They repeated. A perfectly innocent expression settled on their face.

Nana faltered and sighed. "Alright, but be more careful next time."

"Got it," they mock-saluted her with two fingers. Turning around, their child headed to the stairs. Nana grabbed their wrist before they could go, though. "Huh?"

"Wait a minute, I have a surprise for you in the kitchen," she smiled at their adorable bemused face. It reminded her so much of little Tsuna… it almost hurt her heart.

Nana dragged them into the kitchen and they stumbled along behind her. In all honesty, their child's hospitalisation almost made her forget what day it was. She remembered yesterday when she checked the calendar and after that it was a blur, what with her rushing to the market.

"I'm sorry it's no much," she said sadly. "I was so distracted with everything that happened that I almost forgot!"

She chanced a glance at Frisk and smiled when she was gifted with the image of her wide-eyed child. They stared at the bakery-bought chocolate muffin and the small, wrapped box next to it. Nana would've bought a cake if it wasn't so last minute… but she had a feeling her children would appreciate it all the same.

"This is…" they trailed off, sounding uncertain.

"Happy birthday, Frisk-kun, Chara-kun," she said softly.

"Oh," they said but didn't know how to continue.

Giggling, Nana dragged Frisk over to the take and made them sit down. "I didn't know what to get you, but then I saw this and something made me buy it. A gut feeling, I suppose."

And if Frisk's hands shook as they unwrapped the box, Nana remained wilfully oblivious to it. They opened the box and gasped, choking on air.

"I know it's a bit girly," god knows Iemitsu wouldn't approve, but he lost the right to critiquing her child's presents years ago, "but I had a feeling you'd like it. Do you?" She leaned forward eager to hear the answer.

Meanwhile, Frisk stared at the heart-shaped locket with shock and disbelief, like they couldn't believe what they were seeing was real. The locket itself was a bit odd, with a strange symbol inscribed on the front and…

Frisk opened it, letting a melancholic melody fill the air. One side had a miniature music box while the other said 'Best Friends Forever'.

She didn't know why she chose it instead of the limited-edition Dazai doll she originally wanted to buy Frisk, but from their expression she knew she made the right decision.

"…Thank you," they said it so softly she almost didn't hear it.

"You're welcome," she smiled.

. . .

**N**ote to self, I'm horrible at puns so don't be surprised if I reuse some old material. That's the main reason why Sans isn't make a cameo in this fic. On a somewhat unrelated note, I am also horrible at flirting. Frisk is disappointed in me, no doubt.

Did I make Frisk too OP? Gods, I hope not. But please take into account that Frisk has fought against literal monsters hellbent on killing them for their SOUL or just because they pissed them off, so they have a lot of experience in dodging. And I'm horrible at writing fights so there's that.

And another character I fail at characterising; enter Yamamoto Takeshi! Seems like Frisk is more observant than dear Takeshi-kun thought. But why did he help them? Hm, who knows…

Also. I don't like Iemitsu.

**Timeline**:  
**1991**: _October 14_ \- birth of Sawada Tsunayoshi  
**2002**:  
_September 3_ \- Tsuna's had a great fall  
_September 24_ \- Chara and Frisk wake up  
_September 29_ – events of chapter 2 aka At the Sawada Residence  
_October 1_ – events of chapter 3 aka Namimori Elementary School  
_Oct 2_ \- tutoring session with Hana  
_Oct 3_ \- second half of chapter 4 (though the last part is at 3am on the 4th)  
_October 14_ \- chapter 5  
**2004**: first few events of KHR


	6. Dangerous Encounters

**Brief chapter summary**: After dealing with some yakuza, Frisk must deal with the aftermath..

**Warnings**: violence, Hibari, Undertale-inaccuracies, mentions of Undertale AUs (all of which belong to their respective owners), mentions of murder

. . .

"… Howdy," said Frisk to the pack of semi-delinquent-baby-law-enforcers.

Four of them stared at the scene with wide eyes while Kyo… stood there. With an oddly pensive expression. Butterscotch cinnamon pie, they're screwed.

"Can we, I don't know," they gestured with their hand awkwardly, "forget this ever happened? You guys – or gals, I'd hate to assume, or pals, that's cool too – ignore me and I go about my day normally. How's that sound?"

One of the bodies on the ground groaned.

Sweat slid down the side of Frisk's face as they took in the scene they – _accidentally_! – caused. It wasn't their fault, honest! They hadn't even _meant_ to pull a Dodge Master ver. Retaliation on them. It just… happened. The sheer _strangeness_ of the Encounter had shocked them into their instincts taking over.

The next thing they know, the men were all down, groaning in pain from more or less self-inflicted wounds and Frisk was left to face the music. Also knows as Hibari Kyoya and his herd.

(Or pack? Since 'herd' was more of a 'herbivore' thing…)

They could've pretended to be an innocent bystander that was passing through this alley, but they panicked and blurted the first thing that came to mind. Which basically implied they had something to do with the ten or so bodies sprawled on the ground.

And that wasn't even the worst of it…

***Look on the bright side**, Chara said from where they crouched poking one of the bodies. Of course, their finger went through and caused the gangster to violently shudder. **At least your goal of befriending Kyo is much more likely to happen now that he's seen what you can do.**

Frisk internally wailed like a toddler having a temper tantrum. They wanted Kyo to seek them out on his _own_ terms, not because they accidentally took out a few yakuza/gangsters/whatever-they-were! Now he'd expect _things_ from them and when they failed to meet his expectations, he'd kick them to the curb like last week's trash!

"Bye," they bolted in a manner befitting a coward.

From the lack of sound coming from behind them, no one bothered to follow. Strange, they would've expected at least Kyo to give chase. Oh well, at least it meant less problems for Frisk. They didn't think they could face the boy right now.

They ran into the streets and weaved through the crowds with skill, but some people still shouted after them to "Be more careful, you brat!" They ran and ran until their legs shook and their chest burned.

Falling to their knees, they rolled onto their back and stared at the sky. The scattered across the early evening sky twinkled down at them mockingly. Frisk's chest rose and fell with their heavy breathing, the Heart Locket cold against their clammy skin.

***You forgot the groceries**, Chara leaned over Frisk, obscuring their view.

Frisk's eyes fell shut. Right, the _groceries_.

The whole reason they were even out at 5 in the evening was because Nana forgot to buy the ingredients for tomorrow's bento. If they'd known that their little excursion would've ended like _this_, they wouldn't have bothered to volunteer. They'd have just bought something from the school canteen…

Or maybe they'd have let Nana do the shopping. The gangsters, after all, targeted them for wearing the Nami-sho uniform. Which meant that Nana would have been perfectly safe if she had gone instead of Frisk.

Their mind flashed back to the earlier Encounter.

"_Huh~ Is that what I think it is?"_

"_Yeah, that's definitely Nami-sho's uniform, aniki."_

"_You think he's one of that demon brat's lackeys?"_

"_Does it matter?"_

"_Nah, I guess not. That brat didn't get the hint when we put his lackeys in the hospital. You think he'll be more interested if we put a defenceless kid in there instead?"_

"_Couldn't hurt to try. I mean, the young master won't care as long as we get the point across…"_

And after that…

The amount of LOVE the gang members had was surprisingly high for your run of the mill criminals, but the difference of the Encounter tipped them off to something being really, really _wrong_ with this reality.

For one, their surroundings didn't fade into the customary monochrome world FIGHTs usually took place in. They all remained in the alleyway, fully coloured and everything. At least their opponents' SOULs appeared, but even that caused Frisk to have a minor heart attack. Why? Because their SOULs were _white_. That only happened when to a _Monster's_ SOUL, but those guys were definitely Human. Their SOUL's were even the right way up!

Even weirder, the gangsters didn't notice the shining SOULs and carried on monologuing. It almost made Frisk think that the FIGHTs were a normal occurrence for them to be so stoic when confronted with floating cartoon hearts, but they asked and the ringleader gave them a look that questioned Frisk's sanity. So that meant that they couldn't see the SOULs and the **FIGHT**, **ACT**, **ITEM**, **MERCY** options.

Speaking of the options, the gangsters didn't even take turns attacking Frisk! Which was _way_ beyond rude. Seriously, didn't they have manners?

Everything after that was a blur and before they knew it, the Encounter was over and done with and the Disciplinary Committee appeared. That momentarily surprised them enough to ignore Chara's Comments, but now that they were relatively alone…

***YOU WON!  
*You earned 160 EXP and 500 yen.  
*Your LOVE increased.**

Chara's confused but firm comments kept echoing in Frisk's ears. They plugged their ears in hopes the words would stop repeating, but to no avail.

How could this have happened? Their EXP and LV... _increased_.

But there was a _tiny_ problem. They had gained EXP and increased their LV. But the only way to gain EXP was to _kill_ someone, hence the name 'Execution Points'. And by earning EXP, their LV increases. LV, or LOVE, was a misleading name. It stood for 'Level of Violence' and all sort of horrible stuff happened when it increased.

Frisk didn't kill anyone. They were 100% sure all of the bodies were breathing when they ran off, and they definitely didn't injure the gangsters enough to even _half-_kill them. There had also been less than 10 of them, so how'd they earn _160_ EXP points?

***Well, Humans **_**are**_** tougher than any regular Monster. Even Boss Monsters. So you get more EXP from them because of that, I guess? **Chara replied. **I have no idea why you gained it though, since you didn't kill anyone.**

Frisk twitched. Had they said all that out loud?

***Yep**, Chara said, popping the 'p'.

They sighed. They couldn't even bother to be surprised anymore. "Do you think it's a quirk of this reality?"

*****_**Or**_**…** Chara said pointedly, **It could be a Human thing. You've never fought Humans in the past Timelines before. So maybe it's just like in those video games. You gain LV by beating or negotiating with your opponents. You don't necessarily have to kill them.**

"That _would_ explain the vibes I keep getting from Kyo and Kobayashi." Frisk muttered thoughtfully.

The vibe those two gave off was akin to the vibe a person with high LOVE radiated. And if Kyo got into as many fights as the rumours said, then his killing intent and bloodlust was perfectly explainable. More or less. They still didn't understand why a cute kid like Kyo got into so many fights, but hey, not everybody was a pacifist with an endless supply of re-dos and charisma.

They still had no idea about Kobayashi though. Was it a doctor thing? Every doctor Frisk's known had been either a total jerk, too apathetic to really be remembered, or all-smiles and a sadistic streak a mile wide.

***Frisk! **

Chara's warning came too late. One moment, Frisk was laying on the grass, the next they were sailing through the air. They crashed into a tree which did nothing to ease the burning in their lungs and the stinging in their side.

"Son of a chocolate chip cookie," they wheezed out.

Immediately after those words left their mouth, an intense… _something_ filled the air, making their body freeze and desperately buried memories resurface. It reminded them of Sans just before he… _yeah_.

Needless to say, it spelled trouble for Frisk and their continued well-being.

Glancing up, they resisted the urge to bolt seeing as it wouldn't help. Instead, they sighed and painfully picked themself up.

Kyo stared – though it was more of a glare, really – them down, tonfas out and ready to strike. But since they were made out of wood and the throbbing in Frisk's side wasn't that bad, it meant that he had kicked them. That brat.

"Look—" Whatever they were going to say was ignored.

"For disturbing the peace in Namimori, you will be bitten to death," he intoned menacingly. "For unauthorized fighting, you will be bitten to death. For consorting with criminals, you will be bitten to death. For running from the authorities, you will be bitten—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," they cut him off and waved their hands wildly in an attempt to get his attention. "I've never _consorted_ with criminals before! You got it all wrong, Kyo. Those guys attacked me out of the blue and I—er… defended myself." Who even used 'consorting' in this day and age?

Chara squinted at the nervous child dubiously. Their mind filled with all sorts of memories of Frisk hanging out with Edgy Undyne (who had definitely been banished and had a bounty on her head), the _literal_ Underground of that one AU (that had been a fun week) …

The demonic entity shook their head.

Kyo's eyes narrowed into slits. He lifted his tonfas in preparation for a beat down. "For interrupting me and using my name with such familiarity," he growled, "_you will be bitten to death_."

***Kyo advances on you threateningly!  
*It doesn't look like he's one for mercy…**

Frisk didn't dare move. Their lips pressed together tightly. A feeling of dread crawled up their spine.

A faint glow appeared over both their chests, Frisk's a mixture of crimson and amber and Kyo's a pale lavender. The colour of a Perseverant SOUL, yet slightly off. Frisk squinted and bit back a gasp. The SOUL was white – like those gangsters' – but it had an ominous purple glow. Almost as if it were in the middle of changing?

How odd…

Frisk's option boxes appeared but Kyo apparently wasn't in the mood for formalities. He lunged at them before they could fully take everything in. The sound of his SOUL followed, a sinister melody that, oddly enough, reminded them of the Nutcracker.

They remembered a brief moment in some timeline or another – maybe it was the original one, but it could've been that weird dancing one too. Frisk had been reading a book about SOULs when one paragraph caught their attention.

It went on to describe how each and every SOUL had a particular melody to it. Sometimes it was loud, other times it could barely be heard. But in all cases, the book had explained, the SOUL's melody corresponded perfectly with the nature of its bearer.

One time, during a relatively slow Pacifist Run, Frisk had asked Sans what theirs sounded like. His eyelights had gone out and the grin had stretched painfully across his skull.

"_it's resolved," he said, "one might even call it determined."_

Frisk hadn't understood why he was so tense, and they never got the chance to ask him about it in more detail.

_It suits him_, they idly thought.

They ducked under his first swing and tried to back up a few steps, maybe all the way to Kyoto just in case, but their newfound clumsiness betrayed them once again. Flailing as they went down, they jerked their head to avoid a kick.

Frisk wasn't so lucky the next time. Kyo's foot sailed for their midriff and before the child could react, it connected. A small yelp of pain escaped their lips when their body sailed through the air. They tried to twist and land on their feet like they'd seen the characters in Alphys's anime do (like they had been able to in Frisk's body), but Tsuna's body was anything _but_ graceful.

They cut their forearm on a sharp rock as they skidded to a halt. They glanced at their stats real quick and wanted to cry.

**FRISK LV 1 HP 8/10**

_Well_, they thought, borderline hysterically at that point, _at least Tsuna's body can take a punch._

As it turns out, that was an extremely useful aspect to their new body. In their original body, they bled waterfalls from just a tiny scrape. The only reason they survived Asriel's onslaught of attacks was because of their DETERMINATION and their friends' HOPES.

Their options didn't disappear while Kyo was attacking them, just like when they dodged the gangsters. Looks like there were no 'turns' in this universe. Whether that was a good or bad thing… Frisk didn't know if they wanted an answer to that.

"Alright," they breathed out while Kyo scowled at them, "**ACT**, **CHECK**."

***HIBARI KYOYA – ATK 42 DEF 49  
*LV 5 HP 39/40  
*Namimori's resident carnivore.  
*Still troubled by his underlings' defeat.**

Those were _not_ the stats of an eleven year old Human. They blanched.

According to those stats Frisk was, without a doubt, doomed.

But in spite of the odds, they squared their shoulders and chose **INFORM** before Kyo could unleash another attack. A new option they didn't know what to do with until Chara's mouth opened.

***You inform Kyo about the gangsters' intentions.**

Frisk's eyes lit up.

"Hey Kyo," he twitched at hearing his name, "Those guys from before—" Frisk scrambled back when he tried to sperate their head from their shoulders.

"Don't be so familiar with me, herbivore! We're not allies and we definitely aren't," he spat out the last word in a tone one would use when uttering a foul curse, "_friends_."

"_Yet_," The word slipped out without Frisk noticing. At spotting Kyo's growing ire, they hastily continued to **INFORM**. "Those guys went after me because I was wearing Nami-sho's uniform."

Kyo paused.

"Which sucked for both of us because I had to deal with some punks trying to put me in the hospital and _they_ got their behinds handed to them by a kid half their age. It's kind of funny, don't you think? It gets even worse because I did most of it on autopilot and I only dodged and tripped them. Makes me wonder what they're teaching Humans these days. I m—"

Kyo lunged forward, apparently done with Frisk's rambling.

***Kyo doesn't seem all that much interested in listening. **

Oh I don't know about that, Frisk threw themself out of harms way before continuing with their **ACT** in spite of Chara's disapproving glare.

"They also said—" another swipe, another duck, "Something about a 'demon brat'—" Frisk lost some HP in the resulting swipe and gained a brand new bruise that would be difficult to hide come morning, "Not getting their hint after his 'lackeys' were put into the hospital." They screwed their eyes shut halfway through the sentence after seeing a tonfa sail through the air. They wouldn't be able to dodge; it was too close and too fast.

But no pain came.

They tentatively opened an eye. Frisk has had some not nice experiences with wounded eyes. Usually, the sudden spike of pain made them LOAD on instinct.

The tonfa stopped an inch from their eye. Frisk warily slid back and out of harm's way before taking in the frozen form of their opponent and friend-to-be. His hair did a good job of covering most of his face, but they could still see his slightly open mouth. His body was tense, his chest unmoving.

Thirty seconds later, and Frisk frowned. It wasn't healthy to not breath for so long… Did they shock him into losing his breath? If so, then that sucked since Frisk didn't know how to preform CPR. Was that even needed for this? Before they could turn around and ask Chara for advice, Kyo finally made his move.

"What," he said so, so softly they mistook it for incomprehension. But then he lifted his head and Frisk flinched back. There was no hiding the simmering rage in his eyes. His SOUL shone brighter.

Above them, Chara's breath hitched.

Frisk themself felt breathless with—fear? Nervousness? Excitement?

Something in them stirred and perked up, before falling back into its slumber like a narcoleptic cat. For a brief moment the orange cracks in their SOUL brightened, but then they blinked and it was gone. They brushed it off as a reaction to Kyo's SOUL and turned their attention to something much more pressing.

"Speak, herbivore," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Those guys in the alley said they put your, uh, Committee members in the hospital."

It wasn't that hard to connect 'demon brat' to their very own Kyo. He was very demonic, but probably not on par with Chara.

Kyo glared at them for a few minutes more, in case his unnerving stare was enough to get them to renounce the information and confess their lies. But it wasn't and they weren't.

The corner of Frisk's lip twitched. Kyo would need a lot more than a glare to get _that_ from them. They've lived a lot of lives and a lot of lies, and they're living one right now. And that was not something they could confess to. Not today. Not tomorrow. Maybe not even in a decade.

Finally, after what felt like hours but was most likely just a handful of minutes, Kyo's tonfas disappeared as he involuntarily **SPAREs** them.

More than a little shocked, they return his action.

***YOU WON!  
*You earned 0 EXP and 100 yen.**

"If I find out you're lying to me, I'll bite you to death and toss your corpse to the wolves."

… was he serious? Oh stars please tell them he wasn't. What he said sounded a lot more threatening than his usual tonfa and catchphrase shtick.

"G-Got it," they gulped back their fear and sent him a smile.

He blinked. Then he spun on his heel and disappeared into a nearby alleyway.

Once he was out of view, Frisk's knees buckled.

"I don't know how," they whispered, "but Kyo's the most terrifying child I have ever met."

***That's fair.** Chara nodded. **Still want to be his friend?** A pause. **Oh who am I kidding? **_**Of course**_** you do.**

Frisk ignored their grumbles, instead pushing themself up onto unsteady feet. "We should head back. Nana's probably worrying by now." They sighed. "Explaining this is going to be a pain…"

. . .

Good news, Nana wasn't all that upset over the lost groceries. Bad news, they're now forbidden from going grocery shopping and were banned from 'getting into fights like a no-good delinquent'. Apparently, Nana thought they started a fight and didn't believe them when they said some gangsters attacked them. They couldn't really blame her. It _did_ sound like something out of a manga, but still…

"Why in the world would yakuza want to attack you? You're just a child, Frisk-kun. Adults won't harm defenceless children! They know better. Just as you should…" They tuned out the rest of her scolding after that.

Nana, they soon learned, was painfully naïve. Frisk knew for a fact that not all adults were good people like her and Toriel. Some were cruel and harsh and bitter over the hand life dealt them. And since they couldn't take it out on fellow adults, they took it out on defenceless children.

That night Frisk slept rather poorly. Their dreams were filled with the stench of alcohol, and bones, and the wind whipping at their head and limbs, and downing, and fire, and cruel words, and _**kids like you should be burning in hell**_.

They woke up in a cold sweat. Chara floated above them, a hint of concern in her eyes.

"I'm okay. It was just a dream. I'm okay." They repeated, but they didn't sound all that convincing. Even to themself.

Chara sent them a look full of doubt but didn't say anything. That was one of the things Frisk loved about them. Chara knew when to not ask questions, unlike them.

They didn't – _couldn't_ – go to sleep after that.

When the sun peaked into their room, they crawled out of bed. A glance at their alarm told them it was just before half past seven. Great.

Frisk completed their usual morning routine with little fanfare since Chara simply hovered like an overprotective guardian _angel_ demon instead of letting loose their usual remarks.

***You can stay in**, they suggested as they both eyes the bruise blooming on Frisk's cheek. **I'm sure Nana will let you.**

Frisk shrugged and grimaced at the soreness of their body. Fighting sucked.

"Maybe. But if I miss school and I'm not actually sick Hana will find out and kill me."

Chara waved a dismissive hand. ***She doesn't care about you **_**that**_** much.**

While it was true, it still stung. Frisk hid a frown by splashing their face with cold water.

***I'm getting bored. Let's go already.** Chara sighed and wandered off.

After making sure they didn't look like an idiot, Frisk followed. They walked down the stares carefully and went to the kitchen. They spared a glance for the frozen ghost hovering in the doorway before looking into the kitchen and stopping.

Hibari Kyoya sat at the table, a small cup of pleasant-smelling tea on the table. Nana stood at the counter, making Frisk's bento filled with dinner's leftovers. But her body was full of tense and nervous energy. It looks like even she was not unaffected by Kyo's natural aura.

"Howdy," they greeted. Kyo didn't so much as twitch at their sudden appearance. Instead, he finished his tea and stood up soon after. He turned to them with cold eyes, mouth set into a scowl.

"Was I right?" They asked with genuine curiosity. There was always a chance they misunderstood something…

His jaw clenched. A glance at Nana later, and Frisk understood what Kyo was trying to say. "Let's go to my room."

Nana's head whipped around, "Frisk-kun!" But she faltered when Kyo's eyes fell on her. She gnashed at her lip before turning away. From her reaction, it was safe to say she had made the connection between Frisk's wounds and Kyo's presence.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. We just need to talk about something…" Frisk trailed off. Kyo had enough of the chit-chat and stalked off, his jacket billowing behind him dramatically. They wondered how he did it. They thought only Severus Snape could manage it!

Soon enough, they were up in Frisk's room. Kyo had appropriated their soft, comfortable bed and that left them with the option of the chair or the floor. With a shrug, they chose the chair.

Kyo stared them down, eyes flickering with emotions Frisk couldn't recognise. Perhaps on another person, it would've been easier. But Hibari Kyoya wasn't an easy person to read.

"Was I right?" they repeated their earlier question.

Kyo crossed his arms. His face went blank. That… was never a good sign. It actually started to make Frisk worry.

Finally, he replied. By the end of it, Frisk's mouth went dry and their hands started to tremble.

"My subordinates took the herbivores back to the precinct. After some incentive, they confessed to being the ones who put Nakamura Keishi and Hajime Rin in the hospital. They were left to their devices for a short while due to an incident occurring outside, and by the time we arrived back, they were all dead. Their reason for their actions remains unknown."

***Well that isn't suspicious at all**. Chara remarked dryly.

"Why are you telling me this?" Frisk asked. "Since it's a murder, shouldn't it be… oh I don't know, _classified_?"

"It is," Kyo said.

"Then why are you telling me this?" They wanted to throw their hands up in frustration. Sometimes children were so confusing. Speaking of children, how was Kyo even able to know about all this?

***I thought Sunshine said there wasn't any law enforcement in Namimori**. Chara's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Kyo's expression twisted into something less happy. "You're an important witness, according to my uncle. I came to see if you remember those herbivores saying anything that may explain why they attacked you and my men."

Because that explained everything.

Frisk shrugged. "Well… They did say something about a young master. And that you didn't get the hint after those two ended up in the hospital. They targeted me because I was wearing the Nami-sho uniform. That's all I know."

This whole thing smelled more fishy than Undyne after a long soak in Waterfall's waterfalls.

But it wasn't Frisk's problem. They've had their fair share of adventures; they're leaving the rest to the people actually equipped with dealing with deranged murders and world domination plots. As far as they're concerned, Kyo and his merry band of delinquent law enforcers could deal with whatever this would turn out to be.

Now, don't get them wrong. Frisk loved adventures and helping people. But after years upon year of doing the same thing over and over and _over_—they needed a break. They wanted _one_ year of relaxation and peace, that's all. Kyo could handle this adventure, Frisk would join in on the next.

Kyo made a thoughtful humming sound. He looked deep in thought so Frisk glanced at Chara, stood up and tried to leave.

Keyword being _tried_.

Before they even reached the door the demon perfect was on them, Frisk's wrist in a tight hold. Oh yay, more bruises.

"Um," they began.

"You will join the Disciplinary Committee." Kyo told them.

"No thank you?" They blurted.

His eyes narrowed into his customary glare. "That is non-negotiable. You are an… _adequate_… fighter. Not on par with a carnivore, but sparring with you will not be boring."

"That's nice and all, but I'm a pacifist," they tried to escape his grasp but he wouldn't so much as budge. For an eleven year old, Kyo was pretty terrifying.

"Pa…cifist?"

Frisk blinked. "I don't like fighting."

"So a herbivore then," he scowled. It made Frisk tense.

"I guess," they shrugged, "Either way, I'm not interested."

"You're joining the Committee. Or you will be bitten to death." He threatened, grip tightening. Frisk was surprised their wrist hadn't broken yet.

"Wait—bitten to death? Why?! I didn't do anything," they protested once his words registered.

"You know classified information. Information only those that belong to me are allowed to know." Frisk gaped. What in the name of Asriel was he on?!

"But—But _you_ told me! I didn't want to know. I just asked if I was right!" Their flailing managed to get Kyo to let go, his face sullen.

Kyo's face darkened. He stepped in front of the door and grabbed his tonfas out of literally nowhere. "You will join the Disciplinary Committee, herbivore, or you will be bitten to death."

Frisk looked at Kyo (and risked a longing glance at the door behind him). They looked at a hovering Chara. They looked at the open window.

"Yeah, no," they forwent everything and simply threw themself out of the window. They'd SAVE real quick so any injuries gained would be soothed and healed. Any injuries they gained would be nothing in the face of whatever Kyo would've done.

"_**Herbivore**_," the threatening glower was enough to motivate Frisk.

One sprained ankle, SAVE, and marathon sprint later, Frisk was safely enclosed in their classroom. That was when they realised they forgot everything back at the house. Including their hamburger steak bento. And their shoes.

The class and the teacher laughed at them, unaware of the reasons for their hasty escape to school.

Frisk groaned and buried their head in their arms. They should've just forgotten the groceries and bought some bread from the cafeteria instead. It would've saved them the headache.

***Still want him as a friend?** Chara said, tone mocking.

The worst part, _of course Frisk did_. A little threatening and shanghaiing never made them give up before. While not interested in the DC yet, they felt that with a little convincing on Kyo's part, Frisk would gladly join.

But the body snatcher wanted _one_ peaceful year before that happened.

One.

Just _**one**_.

But.

A nameless emotion engulfed them… From what they've seen of Hibari Kyoya, a little window jumping wasn't going to deter him from what he wanted. Frisk didn't know whether they should be thrilled or terrified.

Maybe Frisk's Befriending Tactics were working better then intended…

(Papyrus would've been proud.)

(As for Asriel, that crybaby would've laughed at them.)

(The Heart Locket hung heavy on their neck.)

. . .

And done. Wow I'm exhausted. So good night.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. I'll provide the answers, eventually.

Also, as a side note, Kyoya's stats were inspired by the DS game "Fate of Heat", which is a KHR game. I did a little tweaking for it to be more appropriate for his age, but otherwise I took heavy inspiration for his DEF and ATK from that game's stats.

Also, this chapter takes place a little before the start of November.


End file.
